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Dec 31, 2020 · From Christmas and Capodanno to Easter and the Infiorata, here are the best Italian holidays and celebrations you can't miss.
Oct 24, 2023 · From food festivals that tantalize the taste buds to wild Carnival celebrations, we’ll explore the origins of practices that showcase the Italian flair for life. Together, we’ll discover holiday rituals that have been passed down for generations and quirky beliefs to ward off bad luck.
- January 1 – New Year’s Day (Capodanno) New Year’s Day tends to be fairly laid-back after the preceding days. Families may get together for a lunch of zampone (a typical stuffed pork leg sausage often eaten on this day) served with lentils, a hopeful symbol of good fortune and wealth for the coming year much like black-eyed peas in the USA.
- January 6 – Epiphany (Epifania or La Befana) The Epiphany is a Catholic holiday marking the symbolic day of the three kings or wise men. According to Christian tradition, after traveling from faraway lands following the star of Bethlehem, the kings left their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newborn Christ Child.
- Carnevale (Mardi Gras) During the winter weeks leading up to Lent (which begins forty days before Easter on Maundy Wednesday) Italy’s streets and piazzas are overtaken by children in costumes throwing confetti and running wild.
- Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (Pasqua and Pasquetta) Depending on the year, Easter Sunday or Pasqua can fall in March or April. Pasqua in Italy is a major holiday, more felt and celebrated than in the USA – closer to Christmas in importance.
Oct 23, 2023 · These civic and religious holidays commemorate events and figures significant to Italian culture and history. In addition, Italy celebrates dozens of other non-public holidays, or “festività,” that highlight the country’s unique local traditions and patron saints.
- Capodanno (New Year’s Eve/ New Year’s Day, December 31-January 1) New Year’s celebrations begin on December 31 with the standard 10-second countdown to midnight, and celebratory fireworks.
- Befana (Epiphany, January 6) Similar to an American Christmas celebration, the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6. If you are big on Santa Claus and your kids believe in magic and fairy tales, then this holiday is a perfect opportunity for combining American and Italian traditions.
- Carnevale (Mardi Gras/Carnevale, the two weeks before beginning of Lent) Although the spirit and the tradition of these festivities are very different, Italians celebrate Mardi Gras/Carnevale just as Americans celebrate Halloween: they dress up.
- Pasqua (Easter) The way Italians celebrate Easter is not very different from the way it is celebrated by Americans, but Italians typically enjoy chocolate eggs and the colomba, an Easter cake similar to panettone, instead of chocolate Easter Bunnies, because rabbits are not part of the symbolism of Easter in Italian culture.
Jul 22, 2022 · Italian culture is the amalgamation of thousands of years of heritage and tradition, tracing its roots back to the Ancient Roman Empire and beyond. Italian culture is steeped in the arts,...
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Aug 16, 2019 · Many Italian festivals are based on historical events and can include processions with people dressed in period costume, contests between neighborhoods of the town, flag-throwers, food, and fireworks. Summer is the height of the festival season, as you travel in Italy, look for posters advertising a festa or sagra.
