Italian public holidays 2024

There’re 12 national holidays in Italy. Find out the bank holidays dates in 2024 and how to celebrate like Italians.

Ellie Whyte

6 minute read

·

Updated on 4 Oct 2024

·

Living

There’re plenty of national and regional holidays throughout Italy, thanks to its rich cultural and religious heritage. As an expat, it’s helpful to keep these dates handy to plan your holidays and know when the local shops or offices will be closed. For instance, August is a terrible month to book appointments because nearly half the country will be on vacation.

Find out below which holidays are celebrated in Italy and when. You can bookmark this article to check the dates and learn how to celebrate the Italian holidays like a local.

Italy has 12 national holidays. It’s worth knowing that for most of Italy’s public holidays, government offices, post offices, museums, and grocery stores will be closed or have reduced hours. Public transport will often operate, but there’ll be fewer trains, buses, metros, or trams. So plan your travel in advance using one of the public transport apps.

Besides these 12 national holidays, you’ll notice lots of Italians take time off in August as it’s their summer break. It can be frustrating if you don’t plan well because you’ll struggle to make appointments, for example, at a hairdresser's or post office.

Additional holidays for students

As a university student in Italy, you’ll have additional holidays:

• Winter break (typically from the 23rd of December until the first week of January)
• Easter break (typically 1 week during April)
• Summer break (typically at least 1 month during July or August, depending on your university)

Additional holidays for employees

If you’ve found a job in Italy, you’ll enjoy a generous amount of vacation days. As an Italian employee, you’re entitled to a minimum of 20 paid vacation days on top of the 12 national holidays.

Calendar of Italy’s public holidays 2024

Calendar of Italy’s regional holidays in 2024

Each region in Italy has its own patron saint, each with their own feast day. These holidays are only celebrated in certain regions. During these holidays, local stores and offices will remain closed.

Italians often spend their bank holidays with their families and friends. While most holidays come with unique traditions, almost all the celebrations include food in one way or another! Let’s take a closer look at the 12 national holidays, how they’re celebrated and what the Italian holiday traditions look like.

January 1st - New Year’s Day (Capodanno)

On New Year’s Eve, Italians celebrate by having a huge dinner with friends or family. The dinner will likely feature lentils with sausage (cotechino con le lenticchie) as lentils are supposed to bring good luck and fortune.

There’re other unique traditions that aren’t as common, such as throwing out old items to make space for new beginnings or wearing red underwear for luck. Some people might also tune in to their television to watch the President’s speech. Great practice if you’re learning Italian!

As it nears midnight, you’ll find friends and families heading out to the main squares for music, dancing, and watching the fireworks display.

January 6th - Epiphany (Epifania)

Epiphany is a Catholic holiday to celebrate the 3 wise men of the nativity, also known as the Magi. Although Epifania marks the end of the Christmas holidays, it’s particularly exciting for kids as they receive gifts from La Befana, a good witch.

There’s also plenty for adults. For instance, several cities, such as Florence and Milan, host a parade featuring the Magi. Besides that, Epifania marks the start of winter sales, if you want to grab some bargains!

March 31st - Easter Sunday (Domenica di Pasqua)

Easter is celebrated in Italy with lots of food, family, and friends. Some Italians will attend Easter mass before having a big family lunch of lamb and Italian treats such as colomba (Italian sweet bread), pane di pasqua (Easter bread with dyed eggs), and uova al cioccolato (Easter eggs).

April 1st - Easter Monday (La Pasquetta)

Commonly called Little Easter. On Easter Monday, Italians often celebrate a little further from home, taking trips to nearby cities or the countryside for a picnic. More businesses are open on La Pasquetta as it’s quite a busy time of the year for local and international (particularly religious) tourism.

Schools will typically be off for a week, meaning you can expect more crowds and pricier trips if you plan to do a little vacation.

April 25th - Liberation Day (Il Giorno della Liberazione)

Liberation Day celebrates the end of Nazi occupation in Italy following WW2. Commemorative services are held across Italy in honour of those who lost their lives fighting. In Rome, ceremonies are held at the Quirinale Palace and a wreath-laying ceremony takes place at Altare della Patria.

May 1st - Labour Day (La Festa dei Lavori)

Each May, Italians celebrate workers' rights. Labour Day is typically spent with close family and friends with a picnic in the park. In cities like Turin and Milan, workers' marches and parades take place throughout the city.

June 2nd - Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica)

The Italian Republic was established in 1946 after WW2. Italians typically take Republic Day to visit another city. Because of this, more museums, shops, and restaurants are open on this holiday than usual. However, government offices, banks, and schools will remain closed.

August 15th - Assumption (Ferragosto)

Ferragosto celebrates the Virgin Mary’s ascension to heaven and takes place during one of the busiest months in Italy. Local tourism is popular in August as it’s the hottest month of the year and school holidays are in full swing. So it’s common for Italians to celebrate Ferragosto by travelling to nearby the sea, lakes, or mountains for a mini vacation.

This makes August a good time to visit cities like Florence and Rome, as there may be fewer crowds.

During Ferragosto, some museums and cultural sites will stay open to the public, making it a great time to explore Italy.

You may see a lot of signs that read Chiuso per Ferie during these holidays. This means “Closed for holiday”.

November 1st - All Saint’s Day (Festa di Tutti i Santi)

This day celebrates all Christian saints. Italian holiday traditions typically involve attending religious services, gift-giving, and having a large meal with family and friends. Italians also leave flower offerings for deceased family members on All Saint’s Day.

December 8th - Immaculate Conception Day (Immacolata Concezione)

In memory of the day Mary was born, freed from sin, this holiday marks the beginning of the Christmas holidays. This is usually when Italians will put their Christmas decorations up and churches display their presepi (nativity scenes). You can still expect all government offices, banks, and schools to be closed during Immaculate Conception Day. However, shops will typically stay open as people start Christmas shopping.

December 25th - Christmas Day (Natale)

Naturally, Christmas is a very popular holiday in Italy, with a number of traditions that take place to celebrate the occasion. Large religious services take place across the country on Christmas Day, followed by a large meal shared with family and friends. You can expect almost all businesses to be closed on Christmas Day, with many shops closing their doors from noon on Christmas Eve.

December 26th - St. Stephen’s Day (Festa di Santo Stefano)

Italians celebrate St. Stephen’s Day by leaving home with their families and friends. They will often visit Piazzas and check out their local presepi. There’re also markets, carnivals, and festivals in parts of the country. More shops will open on St. Stephen’s Day, following Christmas day. However, all government offices, banks, and schools remain closed.

Now you have all the knowledge you need to celebrate Italian bank holidays just like the locals!