Italy Public Holidays 2024/2025 - A Full List Is Here

Italy has 11 public holidays and several regional holidays each year, the majority of which have a strong connection to Catholicism. Among them, the seven major holidays in Italy are New Year's Day, Epiphany, Liberation Day, Labor Day, Republic Day, Assumption Day, and All Saints' Day.

Holidays in Italy often come with extended days off due to a ponte ('bridge') holiday. When two holidays are in close proximity, it is common to bridge them together (fare il ponte — 'make a bridge'), making the working day in between a holiday. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the ponte turns it into a 4-day weekend.

During these holidays, many businesses, shops, restaurants, offices, etc. may close. If you plan to travel during these times, be aware that your travel plans may be affected.

Italy Public Holidays in 2024

Find below a full list of Italian public and regional holidays in 2024: please know that because of the Ponte holiday, when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the 'bridge' turns it into a 4-day weekend.

Italy Public Holidays 2025

The Top 7 Major Holidays in Italy

Here are explanations of Italy's most important holidays including what you would see if you were in Italy during these times.

1. Capodanno / New Year's Day — January 1

New year firework display in Venice

There is a public holiday for New Year's Day. Italians celebrate New Year's Day with lively group gatherings. They gather with family and friends to enjoy good food. After that, they gather in the city squares or historic streets where there are fireworks displays and open-air concerts.

In Rome, there are usually spectacular fireworks displays and music concerts in St. Peter's Square on New Year's Eve.

2. Epiphany — January 6

Epiphany is a public holiday and is widely celebrated across Italy. The festival was traditionally a religious event commemorating the Magi's visit to see Jesus Christ. But now, it is a joyful celebration in Italy with parades and gifts for children.

For children, the day is rather like a Children's Day and they receive gifts, such as candy (or lumps of coal) from La Befana, a folkloric character who's a bit like Santa Claus.

In Rome, on the day of Epiphany, people gather at Rome's Piazza Navona, where numerous stalls are filled with candies and long stockings.

In St. Peter's Square, over a thousand participants are donned in specific parade attire. They reenact the scene of the Magi visiting to worship the newborn Jesus.

3. Festa dei Lavoratori / Labor Day — May 1

People in Italy celebrate Labor Day with music concerts and picnics. There is a May Day concert at San Giovanni Square in Rome each year. It is the largest free live concert in Europe.

During the event, there may be road closures in Rome. As well as the concert, there are usually other activities in Rome, such as racewalking events. The racewalking routes are concentrated around the historic center.

4. Festa della Liberazione / Liberation Day — April 25

Italy's Liberation Day is to commemorate the successful expulsion of German forces from Italy by Italian partisans and the Allies.

On this day, the government leaders of the country attend the commemorative ceremony held at the Altar of the Fatherland in the city center of Rome.

In Milan, Turin, and Genoa there are parades and performances.

5. Assunzione della Vergine / Assumption Day — August 15

Assumption Day, also called Ferragosto, is the longest holiday in Italy.

For most Italians, it marks the beginning of the summer vacation season extending throughout the month until September 1st. Italian people take vacations outside this time of the year to avoid the hottest time of the year.

During this time, many businesses, shops, bars, restaurants, and offices close, and people often take vacations or participate in festive activities. Most museums and cultural institutions remain open. This is perhaps one of the hardest times to visit Italy.

6. Republic Day / Festa della Repubblica — June 2

Italy's Republic Day is to commemorate the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946. The capital, Rome, hosts a military parade and air show on this occasion.

There are also parades, concerts, and fireworks displays in other cities in the country. People dress in traditional Italian attire and streets are adorned with Italian flags.

7. All Saint's Day / Festa di Tutti I Santi— November 1

All Saints' Day on November 1st is a significant religious event and a public holiday in Italy that celebrates all the Catholic saints. The day is marked by a variety of engaging festival activities throughout the country. Many bring flowers and candles to graves of friends and relatives.

During celebrations of Halloween on the previous night (October 31), the streets come alive with the presence of realistic zombies and ghosts, complemented by dazzling magic performances and screenings of thrilling movies. In major cities like Rome, Turin, and Milan, Halloween-themed carnivals and masquerade balls take center stage. As the next day is a holiday, celebrations go on till late in the evening.

Children dress up in spooky costumes, wear masks, carry pumpkin lanterns, and go to their neighbors shouting: "Dolcetto o scherzetto?" ('Trick or treat?')

In Venice and Abruzzo, pumpkins remain the central element of celebrations as people collect and carve them into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting candles at night to celebrate the rebirth of the departed.

Continue to read: A Complete Guide on Venice Carnival 2025