Holiday Guide for Italy in 2016

Italy information

Italy observes the standard set of European holidays, mixing up key Christian holidays with a few related to the creation of the country. The most important holiday is probably Ferragosto on August 15th, which marks the start of the summer break for most Italians. The major cities observe a regional holiday on the feast day of their patron saint.

Population: 59.55m
Capital: Rome
Calling Code: (39)
Time Zone: +1 UTC
Currency: Euro
Language: Italian

List of Public Holidays in Italy in 2016

	Friday January 1st Long Weekend! New Year's Day (Capodanno) Italy: New Year's Day is a public holiday in all countries that observe the Gregorian calendar, with the exception of Israel
	Wednesday January 6th La Befana (Epifania) Italy: On the night before Epiphany, Befana visits Italian children, leaving a present in their stockings
	Sunday March 27th Easter (Pasqua) Italy: Easter Sunday is the most important date in the Christian church. In the bible, it is the day when Mary Magdalene found that an empty tomb in the cave in which Jesus had been placed.
	Monday March 28th Long Weekend! Easter Monday (Pasquetta) Italy: Easter is probably the most important holiday of the Christian year, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus
	Monday April 25th Long Weekend! Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione) Italy: Celebrates the liberation of Italy by Allied troops at the end of the Second World War
	Monday April 25th Long Weekend! Feast of St. Mark (Festa di San Marco) Venice: In 828, relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen from Alexandria by two Venetian merchants with the help of two Greek monks and taken to Venice
	Thursday April 28th Sardinia's Day (Sa Die de Sa Sardigna) Sardinia: Sardinia Day marks April 28th 1794 when Sardinia expelled Viceroy Balbiano and freed the island from Piedmont domination.
	Sunday May 1st Labour Day (La Festa dei Lavoratori) Italy: This holiday is most commonly associated as a commemoration of the achievements of the labour movement
	Thursday June 2nd Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica) Italy: Marks the referendum of 1946, which resulted in the creation of the Italian republic on June 2nd 1946.
	Friday June 24th Long Weekend! Feast of St. John the Baptist (Jani) Florence, Genoa, Turin: The feast day of St John the Baptist marking Midsummer. John by tradition was born six months before Jesus.
	Wednesday June 29th Saint Peter and Saint Paul (La Festa di San Pietro e Paolo) Rome: The day commemorates the martyrdom of two saints, the two great Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul
	Friday July 15th Long Weekend! Feast of St. Rosalia (Festino di Santa Rosalia) Palermo: Palermo honours St. Rosalia, a young woman who was credited for saving the city from plague in 1624
	Monday August 15th Long Weekend! Ferragosto (Ferragosto) Italy: Ferragosto is a popular summer holiday in Italy that marks the Feast of the Assumption but has its roots in Ancient Rome
	Monday September 19th Long Weekend! Feast of St. Gennaro (Festa di San Gennaro) Naples: San Gennaro was the Bishop of Benevento when he was beheaded during Diocletian's persecution of Christians in 305 AD
	Tuesday October 4th Feast of St. Petronius (Festa di San Petronio) Bologna: Saint Petronius was bishop of Bologna during the fifth century. He is a patron saint of the city. Born of a noble Roman family, he became a convert to Christianity and then a priest
	Tuesday November 1st All Saints' Day (Tutti i santi) Italy: Pope Boniface IV dedicated the day as a holiday to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs
	Thursday November 3rd Feast of St. Giusto (Festa di San Giusto) Trieste: St Justus lived in Trieste in Roman times. As a Christian, he was sentenced to death by drowning for refusing to make sacrifices to the Roman gods
	Tuesday December 6th Feast of St. Nicholas (Festa di San Nicola) Bari: A day when many children across Europe receive gifts in honour of Saint Nicholas
	Wednesday December 7th Feast of St. Ambrose (Festa di Sant'Ambrogio) Milan: Milan only. Saint Ambrose was an archbishop of Milan during the 4th century
	Thursday December 8th Immaculate Conception Day (Immacolata Concezione) Italy: It is a day that celebrates the belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, was preserved from original sin all of her life
	Sunday December 25th Christmas Day (Natale) Italy: Christmas celebrates the Nativity of Jesus which according to tradition took place on December 25th 1 BC
	Monday December 26th Long Weekend! St. Stephen's Day (Santo Stefano) Italy: December 26th is the Feast of St. Stephen in Western Christianity. It is observed as a second day of Christmas holidays in several countries.