Italy is a popular destination for the holidays of many tourists every year. Nonetheless, those who arrive in the country sometimes notice that some Italian celebrations differ from those of other countries.

Some Italian celebrations connect with historical events important for Italy. Others are religious festivities. Italian celebrations for these may differ from those of other countries, or may even be present only in Italy.

Here is everything you need to know about Italian celebrations and their dates.

April 25th – Liberation Day

The 25th of April is a national holiday in Italy. The name of this holiday in Italian is Giorno della Liberazione (in English: liberation day). It was set to celebrate the end of the war in the country. Despite the fact that there were conflicts up until the beginning of May, April 25th was a date of major importance for the liberation forces in Italy.

April 25th is a national day of rest and it is celebrated in many Italian towns. The most famous ritual is that of the President of the Italian Republic visiting the Tomba del Milite Ignoto (in English: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). It is located in the Altare della Patria (in English: Altar of the Fatherland).

The President declares with a short speech, that this celebration is to remember all the Italians who died in conflicts, as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represents all the Italians who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of their country. After this short speech, he places a crown made of laurel leaves on the tomb.

President Sergio Mattarella paying his respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The President of the Italian Republic paying tribute to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – Image attributed by the Presidency of the Italian Republic, from Wikimedia

The history of the Italian celebrations of Liberation Day

Throughout the month of April 1945, a series of successful attacks undermined the control of the territory held by the Fascist and Nazi forces in Northern Italy. On April 16th, the Italian Parties controlling the partisan corps, communicated to the soldiers of the resistance to launch the final attack. At that point, little remained of the Republic of Salò. After 9 days, the Partisans crossed the Po River and marched towards Milan.

The day after, they reached the city to find out that most of the Nazi and Fascist soldiers had retired already. Mussolini himself tried to flee from Milan on April 25th. Members of the resistance captured him a few days later. The American army arrived in the city on May 1st. This is one of the reasons April 25th is such an important holiday for many Italians.

This date does not only represent the end of the civil war and of Nazi occupation, but it also represents how Italian partisans contributed to the effort of liberating the peninsula. For 3 days after the arrival in Milan, the liberation forces kept fighting to gain control of North Italy. When the U.S. soldiers arrived in Milan, they found out that most of the territory was already under the control of their Italian allies.

May 1st – International Workers’ Day

Like many other countries, Italy celebrates the International Workers’ Day on May 1st. This celebration is of major importance for many Italian citizens.

If you ever happen to be in Italy on May 1st, you will see that you can hardly find any shops or businesses open on this date. Even though it has been changing during the last few years and many have started working during this celebration, this is a rest day for most people.

The city of Rome organises a huge concert on May 1st. It starts in the afternoon and goes on until night. Both Italian and foreign artists go on stage to celebrate playing their music in front of thousands of spectators. This concert takes place in Saint John Lateran Square. Here, people start gathering hours before the music starts, to party and enjoy the spring.

A view of the concert of May First in Rome for the Italian celebration of International Workers' Day

The crowd in Saint John Lateran Square during the Concert of May 1st – Picture by Alessio Damato sourced on Wikimedia

June 2nd – The Italian celebrations for the Republic

June 2nd is another National holiday. This celebration’s name in Italian is Festa della Repubblica (in English: Republic Day). This date is important to Italians because on June 2nd 1946 Italy held a referendum. On that day they decided to switch to a Republican government and leave the monarchy.

Nonetheless, it was not until 2000 that the ceremonies for Republic Day took place on June 2nd. Before, the Italian celebrations for the establishment of the Italian republic were held on the first Sunday of June due to economic reasons. This date sees two major events being held in Rome to celebrate the day the Italian Republic was born.

In the morning, the President of the Italian Republic goes to pay his respects to the Italian soldiers who sacrificed for the country. With a ritual similar to that of April 25th, he puts a crown made out of laurel leaves on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

In the afternoon instead, a parade is held in Via dei Fori Imperiali, the avenue that goes from the Altar of the Fatherland straight to the Colosseum. There is a performance of the Italian National Anthem. After the Frecce Tricolori (in English: Tricolour Arrows), an elite acrobatic force of the Italian Air Force, fly over the area. Finally, the parade sees all the most important military and civil corps march, as they salute the President, the Prime Minister and other eminent political figures.

The Parade on Republic Day

The Carabinieri march during the parade of Republic Day – Image by Archeologo sourced on Wikimedia

August 15th – The Italian celebrations of Summer

Ferragosto is an exclusively Italian celebration. The term Ferragosto comes from the Latin “feriae Augusti and it means the rest of Augustus. Its origin comes from the Imperial Roman age. Emperor Augustus gave all workers one day of rest on August 1st.

The festivity was moved to the 15th after it was transformed into a religious holiday by the Catholic Church. It is now the celebration of the Assumption of Mary. Still, this day is not only a religious festivity. Italians celebrate the coming end of Summer.

If you ever happen to be in Italy on August 15th, you will see that almost every city, especially those on the coast, celebrates this day. On beaches, it is common to see kids playing water balloons battles. Those living in the inland often go to have a trip and spend the whole day out with family or friends.

A tradition taking place during this Italian celebration you may encounter is that of the albero della cuccagna. Literally, this expression means the tree of fun. It is known to English speakers as the game of greasy pole.

A man climbing a greasy pole

A man climbing a greasy pole on Ferragosto in Pescara – Image by Ra Boe sourced on Wikimedia

It is particularly common in Southern Italy. Kids and adults climb the greasy pole to catch what rests on top of it, generally food. Kids do not generally take this challenge for the prizes as much as for the glory they receive if they are successful.

In Rome, there is another tradition taking place during this Italian celebration: the ball of Ferragosto. All over the city, many squares host balls, with dancing styles belonging to different traditions.

November 1st – The Italian celebrations of Ognissanti

There is an Italian celebration that despite being part of the Catholic tradition is not a national holiday in many countries. The day of All Saints, known in Italy as Ognissanti. The date of this Italian celebration is November 1st.

It is a tradition in Italy for many Catholics to visit the tombs of their defuncted dears in cemeteries on this day. In many other Catholic countries, the visit takes place the day after, on All Souls’ Day. Since in Italy November 2nd is not a holiday, you will see cemeteries more crowded on Ognissanti.

Another traditional custom spread among Italian Catholics is that of lighting candles. By placing these lit candles in front of the windows of their homes, Christian believers commemorate their departed family members.

This is particularly common among citizens of small cities in rural areas, where communal life is much stronger. Sometimes you can find entire neighbourhoods with a lit candle for every home visible from the street.

The Italian celebrations of the Nativity scene

Christmas is a major holiday for all Christians, but there is one particular tradition which is typical of the Italian celebration: the Presepe. The Presepe is a representation of the birth of Jesus.

It is not only present in Italy, where it has originated. There are many other European countries representing the birth of Jesus. Every area represents the nativity scene differently. Even within Italy, you can find different regional depictions connected to the local customs.

In particular, the Italian celebrations of the nativity are particularly present in Naples. During Christmas, in this city, you can find that every church has set its own representation with extreme attention to details. The Neapolitan nativity scenes are famous for their luxurious decorations.

Neapolitan nativity scene from the Royal Palace in Naples

One of the most famous Neapolitan nativity scenes from the Royal Palace in Naples – Image by Antonio Fucito sourced on Wikimedia

There is even a road, Via San Gregorio Armeno, which is filled with shops selling pieces. During Christmas, they fill with families looking for pieces to build their own scenes at home. These shops are so famous that this street is known as Via dei Presepi, meaning road of the nativity scenes.

Another common tradition in Italy is that of assembling a representation of the birth of Jesus with actual people. Some actors give life to the characters of the nativity. They readapt the episode taken from the bible in a theatrical play.

Often these acts develop out in the open. Sometimes the stage is spread around in small cities and neighbourhoods. In these cases, the audience moves with the actors to different locations.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.