December in Italy 2026: holidays, ponti and closures

• Official source read we read it on an official page
• Partly verified confirmed only in part, see the note
• Custom, not law a tradition, not a rule
• Not verified we could not confirm it

Planning help, not legal advice. National public holidays come from Italian law (Legge 260/1949 and later changes). We could read the text of the 1985 decree for four of them but not the 1949 law itself, so check the official list on Normattiva. Customs are traditions, not law, and vary by region. Confirm with your employer, school or comune.

Dates, 7 December 2026 to 6 January 2027

1. Mon 7 Dec 2026

   Possible bridge day (ponte)

   By law Not verified

   Not a public holiday: Monday 7 December is a normal working day by law. It falls on a Monday in 2026.

   By custom Custom, not law

   With 8 December on a Tuesday, many people take 7 December off to make a long weekend (a ponte). That is a habit, not an official day, so ask your employer and check school calendars. Some cities also have a local patron-saint holiday, so ask your comune.

   Source: Normattiva

2. Tue 8 Dec 2026

   Immaculate Conception (Immacolata Concezione)

   By law Partly verified

   Public holiday: 8 December is a national holiday; the decree of 1985 lists it. It falls on a Tuesday in 2026.

   By custom Custom, not law

   Many families put up the presepe and Christmas decorations on or around this day.

   Source: Normattiva · Normattiva · Wikipedia

3. Thu 24 Dec 2026

   Christmas Eve (Vigilia di Natale)

   By law Not verified

   Not a public holiday: 24 December is not on the national list, so by law it is a working day. It falls on a Thursday in 2026.

   By custom Custom, not law

   The Christmas Eve dinner (cenone della Vigilia) is traditionally meat-free, and many Catholics attend Midnight Mass. Shops often close early; check the hours of the places you need.

   Source: Wikipedia

4. Fri 25 Dec 2026

   Christmas Day (Natale)

   By law Partly verified

   Public holiday: 25 December is a national holiday; the decree of 1985 lists it. It falls on a Friday in 2026.

   By custom Custom, not law

   Christmas Day is usually a family lunch.

   Source: Normattiva · Normattiva

5. Sat 26 Dec 2026

   Saint Stephen's Day (Santo Stefano)

   By law Partly verified

   Public holiday: 26 December is also a national holiday. It falls on a Saturday in 2026, so for many people it is not an extra day off. Check how your contract treats a holiday on a Saturday.

   Source: Normattiva · Wikipedia

6. Thu 31 Dec 2026

   New Year's Eve (San Silvestro)

   By law Not verified

   Not a public holiday: 31 December is not on the national list, so by law it is a working day. It falls on a Thursday in 2026.

   By custom Custom, not law

   Many people celebrate that night. Check shop hours and your transport operator before you plan to go out.

   Source: Normattiva

7. Fri 1 Jan 2027

   New Year's Day (Capodanno)

   By law Partly verified

   Public holiday: 1 January is a national holiday; the decree of 1985 lists it. It falls on a Friday in 2027.

   Source: Normattiva · Normattiva

8. Wed 6 Jan 2027

   Epiphany (Epifania, la Befana)

   By law Partly verified

   Public holiday: 6 January is a national holiday in Italy; the decree of 1985 lists it. It falls on a Wednesday in 2027.

   By custom Custom, not law

   Children wait for the Befana, a figure who brings sweets or, for naughty children, coal.

   Source: Normattiva · Normattiva · Wikipedia

Traditions you will meet

These are customs, not rules. The sources are reference pages, not official ones, and practice differs between families and regions.

• Presepi (nativity scenes)

  Custom, not law

  The presepe is one of Italy's best-known Christmas customs, in homes, churches and city squares. Many people put it up around 8 December.

  Source: Wikipedia

• Mercatini di Natale (Christmas markets)

  Custom, not law

  Christmas markets run through Advent in many towns and trace back to medieval fairs held in that season. Dates and hours differ by town, so check the local programme.

  Source: Wikipedia

• Panettone and pandoro

  Custom, not law

  Panettone and pandoro are the two classic Christmas cakes and are listed among the typical Christmas Day foods. They are sold in every supermarket and bakery in December.

  Source: Wikipedia

• Cenone della Vigilia

  Custom, not law

  The big family dinner on 24 December. According to tradition it contains no meat, and many people go to Midnight Mass afterwards. Restaurants fill up, so book early if you eat out.

  Source: Wikipedia

• Tombola

  Custom, not law

  Tombola is a traditional board game similar to bingo, played in families and described as a Christmas game. Stakes are usually symbolic.

  Source: Wikipedia

• La Befana, 6 January

  Custom, not law

  On Epiphany the Befana, an old woman figure, brings sweets, candies or toys to good children and coal to naughty ones. Epiphany is a public holiday and marks the end of the festive season.

  Source: Wikipedia

What to check before you go

• 8, 25 and 26 December and 1 and 6 January are public holidays, so expect offices and schools to be closed and many shops to have different hours. Check the places you need.

• 24 and 31 December are working days by law, but shops often have shorter hours. We found no official rule, so check each shop.

• Trains and local transport: timetables on 24, 25 and 26 December, 31 December, 1 January and 6 January can differ from a normal day. Check your operator before you travel.

• Local holidays: some cities add a patron-saint day. We did not verify any city's date for this window, so ask your comune or employer.

• In an emergency call 112.

  Emergency numbers in 25 countries

Operators: https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html · https://www.atm.it/it/Pagine/default.aspx

Related pages

• Closed at Christmas and New Year: holidays 24 Dec to 6 Jan in 8 countries
• comealone.appChristmas markets 2026 on comealone.app
• firstphrases.appChristmas phrases in Italian on firstphrases.app
• firstphrases.appTown hall phrases in Italian on firstphrases.app
• Santa Lucia, 13 December 2026: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy

Questions

Sources and what each one confirms

• normattiva.it (DPR 792/1985)DPR 792/1985 on Normattiva (official; text read): lists 1 Jan, 6 Jan, 8 Dec and 25 Dec as holidays
• normattiva.it (Legge 260/1949)Legge 260/1949 on Normattiva (official; the page opens but we could not read its text, so 26 December rests on this law and on the reference page below; confirm on Normattiva)
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_ItalyChristmas in Italy: presepe, Christmas Eve dinner, panettone and pandoro, Befana, 26 December (English Wikipedia, reference, not official)
• it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercatino_di_NataleMercatino di Natale (Italian Wikipedia, reference, not official)
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PanettonePanettone (English Wikipedia, reference, not official)
• it.wikipedia.org/wiki/TombolaTombola (Italian Wikipedia, reference, not official)
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BefanaBefana (English Wikipedia, reference, not official)
• trenitalia.comTrenitalia, trains: check timetables for your day
• atm.itATM Milano, local transport: check timetables for your day

Last checked: 2026-10-25.