Christmas in Italy – A Simple Guide to Markets, Food & Traditions

Christmas in Italy is chaos in the best way. You've got chestnuts roasting on street corners, lights strung up everywhere like someone went crazy at the hardware store, and church bells ringing whenever they feel like it. Cold, sure, but people are still out drinking wine and eating like there's no tomorrow.

Looking for places to visit in the world to celebrate Christmas? Italy should be on that list. Rome's nativity scenes are stupidly big. Venice gets foggy and mysterious. The small towns nobody bothers with are actually better than the famous cities - less crowds, better food, real people.

Christmas in Italy works because nobody's trying too hard. Families eat for hours at cramped trattorias. Wine's cheap and everywhere. Kids play in squares while adults gossip and smoke. The nativity scenes aren't bought from some store-people build them by hand, same as their grandparents did. It's tradition without the performance.

Midnight mass at the Vatican, espresso in Florence at dawn, getting lost in Bologna's medieval streets - doesn’t matter what you do, really. Just go. Our Christmas Tour Packages sort the flights and hotels if planning sounds awful.

How is Christmas Typically Celebrated in Italy?

Christmas in Italy is a warm and joyful celebration filled with family, food, faith, and long-standing Italian Christmas traditions. The holiday season doesn’t just happen on one day - it starts in early December and continues until January 6th.

1. The Season Begins on December 8

Most Italians start decorating their homes on December 8, which is a national holiday called the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is when Christmas trees, lights, and beautiful nativity scenes appear everywhere.

2. Nativity Scenes (Presepi) Are Very Important

Unlike many countries that focus mainly on Christmas trees, Italy loves presepi - handmade nativity scenes. They can be simple or extremely detailed, with tiny houses, markets, and lights. Naples is especially famous for them.

3. Big Family Meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Food plays a huge role.

• Christmas Eve (La Vigilia): Many families eat a “fish dinner” with dishes like fried seafood, pasta with clams, or baked fish.
• Christmas Day 2025 in Italy: This is a huge feast with lasagna, roast meats, vegetables, and lots of desserts like Panettone and Pandoro.

4. Midnight Mass on December 24

Many Italians attend church on the night of Christmas Eve. In Rome, the Pope leads a special Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, which thousands watch.

5. Gifts Are Exchanged in Many Different Ways

Some families open presents on Christmas Eve, others on Christmas Day. In some regions, children also receive gifts from La Befana, a kind old woman who brings sweets on January 6 (Epiphany).

6. Christmas Markets and Light Displays

Almost every town has at least one festive market with handmade crafts, decorations, treats, and warm drinks. Cities like Rome, Milan, Florence, Verona, and Bolzano become especially lively.

7. The Holiday Season Ends on January 6

Christmas in Italy officially ends on Epiphany, a day full of parades, sweets for children, and family gatherings.

Where to Spend Christmas in Italy

Italy has many beautiful places to enjoy the holiday season, and each region offers something special. Whether you want snowy mountains, festive cities, or peaceful seaside towns, there is a perfect Christmas spot for everyone.

1. Rome – For Traditions and Church Celebrations

Rome is one of the most popular places to spend Christmas. The city feels magical with huge Christmas trees, pretty nativity scenes, and bright streets. Many people visit Vatican City to see the big tree in St. Peter’s Square and attend Christmas Mass.

2. Florence – For Art, Lights, and Warm Christmas Markets

Florence mixes holiday charm with history. The city glows with golden lights, especially along the Arno River and famous bridges. You can enjoy cosy Christmas markets, handmade gifts, live music, and delicious Tuscan holiday food.

3. Venice – For a Dreamy and Peaceful Christmas

Venice during Christmas is quiet, misty, and magical. The canals, old bridges, and small squares all sparkle with decorations. St. Mark’s Square has a lovely atmosphere, with music, food stalls, and winter lights.

4. Milan – For Shopping, Fashion, and Big City Festivities

If you love Christmas shopping, Milan is the best choice. The city hosts beautiful markets, luxury stores, and the famous tree near the Duomo. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II looks especially stunning during the holidays.

5. Naples – For Italy’s Best Nativity Scenes (Presepi)

Naples is famous for its handmade nativity figures. Via San Gregorio Armeno, known as “Christmas Alley,” is full of small shops selling detailed and artistic presepi. The whole city feels alive with music, markets, and food.

6. Bolzano & the Dolomites – For Snowy Christmas Vibes

If you want a winter wonderland, head to the Dolomites. Bolzano has one of the most famous Christmas markets in Italy. The mountain villages nearby are perfect for skiing, snow views, and cosy wooden cabins.

7. Verona – For Love, Lights, and Peaceful Markets

Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, becomes even more romantic during Christmas. The streets are full of lights, and the markets feel warm and cheerful. It’s a great place for couples and families.

8. Sicily – For a Mild, Sunny Christmas with Culture

If you want a warm Christmas experience, Sicily is an amazing choice. Cities like Palermo, Catania, and Taormina have nativity shows, food festivals, and historical parades - all with pleasant winter weather.

Suggested Read: 16 Best Christmas Markets in Europe

Christmas shopping in Italy

Many people love Christmas shopping in Italy because the country is famous for style, craftsmanship, and creativity.

From designer stores in Milan to small artisan shops in Florence, you can find:

• Leather bags
• Handmade jewelry
• Painted ceramics
• Wooden decor
• Fashion items
• Christmas ornaments
• Local food products

Markets are great for traditional gifts, while big cities offer luxury options. The combination makes Christmas shopping in Italy enjoyable for every kind of traveller.

Christmas markets in Italy

Many travellers want to visit the Best Christmas Markets in Italy because they look like scenes from a storybook. These markets are full of handmade crafts, sweet treats, hot drinks, and gifts. They are the perfect place to take pictures, enjoy music, and feel the festive spirit.

If you are travelling with children, you should visit the best Christmas markets in Italy for families because they offer kid-friendly sweets, rides, photos with Santa, puppet shows, and fun games. Children love these places, and even adults feel like kids again.

1. Bolzano (Christkindlmarkt)

From late November (around 28 Nov 2025) to early January (6 Jan 2026), Bolzano hosts one of the most famous Italy Christmas markets. It features wooden stalls selling candles, Christmas ornaments, Tyrolean crafts, and warm drinks like mulled wine.

2. Merano (South Tyrol)

Merano’s market runs over the same period, from about 28 November to 6 January. The market is romantic and relaxed, with river views, craft booths, children’s workshops, and local food.

3. Trento

Trento’s “Christmas City” market (La Città del Natale) runs roughly from 21 Nov 2025 to 6 Jan 2026. It has numerous wooden huts offering crafts, nativity figures, regional cheeses, chocolates, and more.

4. Bressanone / Brixen

From late November to early January, Bressanone holds a charming Alpine Christmas market around its cathedral square. Expect handmade wooden toys, ornaments, and local mountain crafts.

5. Verona

Verona’s market is open from 21 Nov 2025 to about 28 Dec 2025. Located in historic squares and courtyards, it includes over 60 stalls with decorations, handcrafted gifts, and a notable “Star of Bethlehem” sculpture.

6. Aosta (Marché Vert Noël)

From around 22 Nov 2025 to 6 Jan 2026, Aosta’s Alpine-style Christmas market features chalet-style stalls selling crafts, regional foods, and Christmas decorations in a cosy mountain town setting.

7. Ala (Baroque Palaces)

Ala’s market runs from approximately 22 Nov to 24 Dec 2025, set in historic baroque palaces. It offers elegant artisan goods, decorative items, and seasonal treats.

8. Arco

In the medieval town of Arco, a small Christmas market runs from 14 Nov 2025 to 6 Jan 2026. It has a very local and calm feel, with handcrafted gifts and festive lights.

9. Assisi

Assisi’s Christmas market opens around 1 Dec 2025 and continues until 6 Jan 2026. The setting is spiritual and historic, with nativity scenes, local crafts, and peaceful candle-lit corners.

10. Milan – Oh Bej! Oh Bej!

This very traditional Milanese Christmas fair runs around early December (usually around December 5th–8th). The stalls sell antiques, toys, sweets, decorations, and Milan-style festive crafts.

11. Naples – Via San Gregorio Armeno

Although this street is active almost year-round, it becomes especially lively during Christmas. In November and December, artisan shops burst with handcrafted nativity figures, miniature scenes, figurines, and candles.

Suggested Read: Best Places to Visit in Europe in December

Where to See the Best Christmas Lights in Italy

Many travellers want to know where to see the best Christmas lights in Italy, and you will be happy to know that you have many great choices.

• Turin: This city is famous for its Luci d’Artista, an outdoor art-light show where monuments, streets, and parks are decorated with artistic installations.
• Salerno: Also hosts a “Luci d’Artista” event, with more than forty illuminated sculptures and creative light paths in the historic centre.
• Rome: The capital lights up beautifully for Christmas in Rome. Key spots include Via del Corso, Piazza Venezia, and St. Peter’s Square - they have canopy lights, illuminated trees, and decorative projections.
• Florence: The city transforms with “F-Light” installations: videomapping projects on the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and more bring the city to life with light art.
• Venice: According to Italia, Venice is among the cities that host enchanting illuminated installations during the holiday season.
• Gubbio (Umbria): Home to the famous Mount Ingino Christmas Tree, which is one of the largest light installations in the world, shaped like a towering Christmas tree on a mountain slope.
• Scorrano (Puglia): This small town in southern Italy is known for its “paratori” - master artisans who craft incredible light installations for Christmas, turning the town into a luminous spectacle.

Things to Do in Italy During Christmas

There are many exciting what to do in Italy at Christmas.

1. Stroll Through Christmas Markets

• Visit traditional markets in cities like Turin, which hosts Luci d’Artista along with Christmas stalls.
• Explore the wooden huts in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce to buy decorations, local crafts, and taste holiday sweets.
• In Milan, check out the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair for handmade gifts, antiques, and seasonal food.

2. See Living Nativity Scenes

• Head to Greccio, a medieval village in Lazio, to watch the Living Nativity Scene. According to Italia. It's set up with real people acting out the nativity in a historic setting.
• In Molise, you can attend the Ndocciata, a torchlight parade on December 24, with large torches carried through the streets in a “river of fire.”

3. Experience Amazing Light Shows

• Walk around Turin at night to enjoy the Luci d’Artista - huge art-light installations across the city.
• In Gubbio, see the famous Mount Ingino Christmas Tree, made of thousands of lights on the mountain slope.

4. Celebrate in Historic Villages

• Visit small Italian villages like Greccio or Abruzzo, which have special nativity scenes and traditional celebrations.
• In the coastal village of Manarola (Cinque Terre), you can see an illuminated nativity scene on the hillside - a beautiful and peaceful way to spend a winter evening.

5. Enjoy Special Christmas Concerts

• Go to a Christmas concert in Milan’s Duomo or in other cathedrals. These are very common during the holidays.
• Many churches in Italy host choral performances, especially around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, making for a very spiritual and calm evening.

6. Shop for Unique Christmas Gifts

• Use the markets to buy handmade crafts, ornaments, leather items, and traditional Italian products.
• Walk through artisan streets like Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, where nativity-making artisans sell figurines for cribs.

7. Taste Traditional Christmas Foods

• Try seafood on Christmas Eve, as many Italians enjoy a big seafood-based dinner (“La Vigilia”) before Christmas Day.
• Enjoy festive sweets like panettone, torrone, and other seasonal pastries. During Christmas, shops and bakeries offer special, rich treats.

8. Take Winter Walks and Enjoy the Lights

• Walk through the Botanical Garden in Rome, which is lit up in Christmas-garden style lights.
• Roam the streets of places like Turin or Florence in the evening to feel the holiday magic through lights, decorations, and soft night air.

9. Visit Cultural Events & Festivals

• Some towns host historical re-enactments or parades around December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) or Christmas Eve.
• In Liguria, you can attend Confeugo, a tradition where a laurel tree is offered to authorities before Christmas.

10. Take Scenic Day Trips

• Go up into the Alps or Dolomites for snow, cosy mountain towns, and Christmas markets in a winter wonderland.
• Visit smaller towns like Aosta (Alpine village markets) or Assisi (historic nativity scenes + calm December walks).

Tips & Practical Info

• Market Timing: Many Christmas markets start in late November / early December and run until early January.
• Opening on Christmas Day: Many markets close on December 25 so vendors can spend the holiday with family.
• Accessibility: There are accessible routes in many markets, especially in Bolzano, Trento, Alberobello, and Gubbio.
• Mass & Church Services: If you want to attend Midnight Mass or Christmas morning Mass, check local church timings beforehand - especially in big cities like Florence.
• Local Transport: In winter, in Alpine or mountain areas, check weather and train/bus schedules - snow can slow travel.

Why Choose WanderOn for Your Christmas & New Year Group Trips?

WanderOn makes festive travel effortless with carefully designed Europe Tour Packages that cover the best Christmas in Germany traditions and experiences. You get a fully planned itinerary, zero stress, comfortable stays, and a fun group of like-minded travellers to enjoy the festive season with.

From exploring magical markets to sharing warm winter meals, every moment feels easy, social, and memorable!

Conclusion: Why Christmas in Italy Is Worth Experiencing

Now you can understand why so many travellers love Christmas in Italy. The country becomes full of lights, warm food, music, and traditions. Families welcome you with kindness. Markets feel magical. Streets shine with joy. You see beauty in every corner, from big cities to small villages.

Christmas in Italy is not just a holiday-it is a feeling. It is warmth in cold weather, joy in simple things, and magic in everyday moments. No matter where you go, you will find something beautiful and unforgettable.

If you ever dream of a winter holiday filled with charm, then Christmas in Italy should be at the top of your list.