Public Holidays in Italy

There is a total of 11 public holidays in Italy observed and celebrated annually.

Just like the vast majority of people around the world, Italians take time off work to celebrate various religious and national holidays by going on trips, bonding with loved ones or simply relaxing at home.

During these public holidays in Italy, government offices and services, including schools and post offices, are closed. While many private companies also choose to close for these holidays, doing so is entirely voluntary. As such, the number of firms that choose to remain open on national holidays has been steadily growing in recent years.

Although famous landmarks like the Colosseum in Rome are required to close for specific public holidays, most of the time they are open for business (except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).

Trying to figure out if you’ll be in Italy on a public holiday? The official public holidays in Italy are listed below.

Public Holidays in Italy

Let’s delve into the list of public holidays in Italy.

1. January 1 – Il Capodanno (New Year’s Day)

Public Holidays in Italy

Often, December 31 along with New Year’s Day are public holidays in Italy.

At New Year’s Eve nearing midnight, people gather in the central plazas to listen to live music, dance, and watch fireworks.

Then, Italians ring in the new year with a feast for many friends and family members. Since lentils are said to bring prosperity, they will most likely be served alongside sausage at supper.

Some other unusual but dwindling customs include clearing out the old to make way for the new and donning red underwear for good fortune. Others may choose to stay home and watch the President’s address on television.

2. January 6 – Epifania / Befana (Epiphany)

Public Holidays in Italy

On January 6th, Italians celebrate Epiphany.

Epiphany is derived from the Greek word for “disclosure,” and celebrates the belief that this is the day Jesus Christ made his divine identity known to the Magi.

Similarly to the Netherland’s Sinterklaas celebration, the Italian Epiphany features a wise old witch instead of an elderly gentleman. They also have something like the Christmas tradition of stuffing a stocking with treats, where good kids get candy and bad kids get soot.

During this holiday in Italy, school is out for the entire country.

There’s also a belief that the Three Kings take away all holidays on Epiphany, since the end of the Christmas season also marks the beginning of a long stretch with no days off. It will be almost three months before another holiday, which is Easter.

3. March-April – Pasquetta (Easter)

Public Holidays in Italy

Domenica di Pasqua (Easter Sunday)

Easter festivities begin earlier in the week and include a big ceremony that takes place at the Colosseum on Good Friday and is known as the Via Crucis.

However, the actual public holiday does not begin until Easter Sunday, and the Monday following Easter is also a holiday throughout the entirety of Italy.

Easter is a festival that takes place in the spring, but the exact day varies from year to year.

La Pasquetta (Easter Monday)

The Monday that follows Easter, which is also known as Pasquetta and is also referred to as “little Easter,” is a public holiday in Italy. Common activities on this day include getting together with friends to have a meal and celebrate the arrival of spring. Several educational institutions are closed for the whole week leading up to Easter.

Check out this post to learn more about Pasquetta or Easter in Italy.

4. April 25 – Anniversario della liberazione d’Italia (Liberation Day)

The next public holiday in Italy is Liberation Day, known in Italian as Anniversario della Liberazione d’Italia or Festa della Liberazione, which takes place on April 25.

This Italian public holiday is done in remembrance of the fall of the Fascist regime and the occupation of Italy by Nazi Germany during world war two.

Additionally, Liberation Day celebrates the success of the Italian Resistance movement of partisans, also known as partigiani.

Festa della Liberazione was made a national holiday in 1946. However, it is still a contentious issue in Italy, and every year, politicians on the right refuse to celebrate the event.

5. May 1 – Festa dei Lavoratori (Labor Day)

Festa dei Lavoratori, or Labor Day / Workers’ Day, is observed on May 1 to honor the efforts of workers everywhere and the successes they’ve had throughout their careers.

On this day, Italians gather with friends and family in the city, on the beach if the weather permits, or somewhere else in Italy or Europe.

But if you really want to celebrate the first of May, you should head to Rome for the world-famous concerti del primo maggio (First of May concerts). At three o’clock in the afternoon, Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano hosts annual performances by both Italian and international singers.

These concerts are broadcast live on RAI TV, Italy’s primary public broadcasting network, and are free to the public.

6. June 2 – Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day)

The Italian National Day and Republic Day, or simply Republic Day, is known as Festa della Repubblica in Italian, and it is celebrated annually on June 2nd.

The majority of the festivities take place in the Italian capital. Festa della Repubblica is regarded as one of the things that represent Italy as a nation.

Following World War 2, the year 1946 saw the establishment of the Italian republic. It is common practice for Italians to take this day to go to another city. Thus, you can anticipate that a greater number of museums, stores, and restaurants will be open on this holiday.

Nonetheless, all schools, as well as government buildings and banks, will stay closed.

7. August 15 – Ferragosto / Assunzione della Virgine Maria (“Mid-August” / Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Public Holidays in Italy

The festival of Ferragosto is the most important summer holiday in Italy.

This national holiday is only one day long, but many businesses will be closed for several weeks beginning around the 15th of August. This is done so that employees will have the opportunity to take their own vacations during this time.

The day also commemorates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary to heaven. Its roots stretch back to the establishment of the Catholic Church and are connected to an old Roman midsummer feast.

Another name for this celebration is the Feast of the Assumption.

8. November 1 and 2 – Ognissanti (All Saints’ Day) and i Morti (All Souls’ Day)

Public Holidays in Italy

On November 1st and 2nd, people around Italy celebrate il Giorno di Tutti i Santi or Ognissanti and il Giorno dei Morti or simply i Morti, respectively.

Italians celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st, a day dedicated to remembering the lives and deaths of the Church’s holy martyrs. Given its significance in Catholicism, the day is typically commemorated by attending Mass.

The same may be said about November 2nd when many individuals pay their respects to ancestors and other loved ones who have passed on. There is a chance that businesses will be open on All Soul’s Day, while on November 1st, most establishments will be closed.

MUST-READ: 11 Most Fascinating Cemeteries in Italy To Visit

9. December 8 – Festa dell’Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

Public Holidays in Italy

This celebration, which commemorates the day Mary was freed from sin, ushers in the Christmas season and marks the beginning of the holiday celebrations.

This is traditionally the time of year when Italians put up their Christmas decorations, and churches begin to show their presepi (Nativity scenes).

On this day, you should still anticipate that all public institutions, including schools and government offices, would be closed.

On the other hand, stores are likely going to be open as usual because a lot of people start their Christmas shopping on December 8.

10. December 25 – Natale (Christmas)

Public Holidays in Italy

Natale is celebrated as a genuine family event all around Italy, much like in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Holidays with your loved ones, and Easter with whoever you please (Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want): that’s the Italian way of celebrating.

La Vigilia, or Tuesday of the Nativity, is the first day of Christmas. A mass is held at midnight, and many people, including those who don’t regularly attend church, show up for it during the Vigilia.

However, the first thing to look forward to on any respectable Italian trip is the delicious food.

Even in Italy, the practice of waiting to eat until after attending midnight mass has all but died out. Yet, there remain regional differences in the Christmas dinner traditions that families observe.

11. December 26 – Il Giorno di Santo Stefano (Saint Stephen’s Day)

Saint Stephen’s Day became a public holiday in Italy in 1947, although before that time it had been a regular working day. The Catholic Church also celebrates the day as a religious holiday, though not as a precept.

As with Easter Monday, the reason for this public holiday in Italy was intended to prolong the Christmas holiday, creating two consecutive public holidays for people to rest before going back to work or school.