If you’re living in Italy, juggling school calendars, or just trying not to book meetings when the entire country has gone to the seaside, having the public holidays in Italy for 2026 in one place is genuinely useful.
This rundown focuses on the national public holidays in Italy for this year: exact dates and how they line up for long weekends and ponti.
How many national public holidays are there in Italy in 2026?
Italy has a core set of public holidays that repeat every year, plus moving feasts like Easter that shift around the calendar. In 2026, there are 12 national public holidays in Italy, including Epiphany, Liberation Day, Republic Day, and Immaculate Conception.
Calendar of national public holidays in Italy in 2026
Here’s the Italian public holiday calendar for 2026 in simple date order, with the day of the week to help with planning:
Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day (Capodanno) |
6 January | Tuesday | Epiphany (Epifania) |
5 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday (Pasqua) |
6 April | Monday | Easter Monday (Lunedì dell’Angelo) |
25 April | Saturday | Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione) |
1 May | Friday | Labour Day (Festa dei Lavoratori) |
2 June | Tuesday | Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica) |
15 August | Saturday | Assumption / Ferragosto |
1 November | Sunday | All Saints’ Day (Ognissanti) |
8 December | Tuesday | Immaculate Conception |
25 December | Friday | Christmas Day (Natale) |
26 December | Saturday | St Stephen’s Day (Santo Stefano) |
Main public holidays for 2026 in Italy
New Year’s Day – 1 January (Thursday)
Capodanno is a quiet one in most places after the chaos of New Year’s Eve. Almost everything non‑essential is closed, and public transport runs on reduced services.
Epiphany – 6 January (Tuesday)
Epifania, or Feast of the Epiphany, marks the end of the Christmas season. The key character is the Befana, the old lady who brings sweets or coal to children.
Easter Sunday & Easter Monday – 5–6 April
Easter in Italy, or Pasqua and Pasquetta, are a big deal culturally. For 2026, you get a guaranteed 3‑day block (Saturday–Monday).
Liberation Day – 25 April (Saturday)
Festa della Liberazione, Liberation Day, marks the end of Nazi occupation and the fall of Fascism. In 2026, it falls on a Saturday, which means you don’t gain an extra weekday off.
Labour Day – 1 May (Friday)
Festa dei Lavoratori is one of the best‑placed national holidays in 2026. It lands on a Friday, giving everyone a neat 3‑day weekend.
Republic Day – 2 June (Tuesday)
Festa della Repubblica, or Republic Day, celebrates the 1946 referendum that created the Italian Republic.
Ferragosto – 15 August (Saturday)
Ferragosto is technically the Assumption of Mary, but everyday life treats it as the high point of the summer.
All Saints’ Day – 1 November (Sunday)
Ognissanti is a religious and family day, with visits to cemeteries and church services. It lands on a Sunday in 2026, so there’s no extra weekday off.
Immaculate Conception – 8 December (Tuesday)
Immacolata, or Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is an early December holiday that Italians use to slide quietly into the Christmas period.
Christmas Day & St Stephen’s Day – 25–26 December
Christmas in Italy stretches across both days:
- 25 December (Friday) – Natale is the main family day, with big meals and quiet streets.
- 26 December (Saturday) – Santo Stefano is another national holiday.
Carnival, New Year’s Eve and other 2026 observances
A couple of dates aren’t quite in the “paid national holiday” category, but still matter a lot if you live here.
Carnival – Tuesday 17 February 2026
Carnival is not a nationwide public holiday in Italy, but some regions and cities give schools and public offices days off, especially in Venice and Viareggio.
New Year’s Eve – Thursday 31 December 2026
In theory, 31 December is officially just another working day, but plenty of offices shut completely between Christmas and New Year. Shops, supermarkets and markets often close earlier on the 31st in preparation for Italy's New Year's traditions.
Good Friday – 3 April 2026
Good Friday is not a national public holiday in Italy so schools and offices usually stay open, though the evening is quieter in many towns.
Long weekends in Italy in 2026
Looking just at the national public holidays, you get a few ready‑made long weekends in 2026 without using any annual leave.
Guaranteed long weekends
- Easter – 4–6 April (Saturday–Monday)
National holidays on Easter Sunday and Monday give at least a 3‑day break. - Labour Day – 1–3 May (Friday–Sunday)
With 1 May landing on a Friday, you get a classic long weekend. - Christmas – 25–27 December (Friday–Sunday)
Christmas on Friday and the weekend attached means a 3‑day minimum.
“Lost” weekday holidays
Some national holidays land on a Saturday or Sunday, which means you miss out on a weekday off if you work standard office hours:
- Liberation Day – 25 April (Saturday)
- Assumption / Ferragosto – 15 August (Saturday)
- All Saints’ Day – 1 November (Sunday)
- St Stephen’s Day – 26 December (Saturday)
Ponti in 2026: best days to turn into long weekends
A ponte (literally “bridge”) is what Italians call the extra day you take off to join a mid‑week holiday to the nearest weekend and make a proper break out of it. Here are the most useful ponti for 2026:
New Year and Epiphany – early January
- Holidays: Thursday 1 January, Tuesday 6 January
- Bridge days to book: Friday 2 January and Monday 5 January
- Result: 6 consecutive days off (1–6 January) using 2 days of leave
Republic Day – Tuesday 2 June
- Holiday: Tuesday 2 June
- Bridge day to book: Monday 1 June
- Result: 4‑day break (30 May–2 June) using 1 day of leave
Immaculate Conception – Tuesday 8 December
- Holiday: Tuesday 8 December
- Bridge day to book: Monday 7 December
- Result: 4‑day break (5–8 December) using 1 day of leave
If you are in Milan, Sant’Ambrogio on 7 December is also a local holiday, which turns this into a very cosy stretch.
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