Long weekends 2026 in Italy

Public holidays 2026 in Italy and what each one gives you

Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.

RomeiPhoto: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

SwedeniPhoto: Arild Vågen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

• Thursday, 1 January: Capodanno. New Year's Day follows the fireworks at midnight and is a quiet day of rest across the country. Take Friday, 2 January off and you have 4 days in a row, 1 to 4 January.
• Tuesday, 6 January: Epifania. Epiphany on 6 January closes the Christmas season. In Italy La Befana brings sweets to children; in Sweden the day off ends the holidays. Take Monday, 5 January off and you have 4 days in a row, 3 to 6 January.
• Sunday, 5 April: Pasqua. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection with church services, family meals and, in many places, egg hunts. Most shops close for the day. It falls on a Sunday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Monday, 6 April: Lunedì dell'Angelo. Easter Monday closes the long Easter weekend with family outings and, in Italy, Pasquetta picnics in the countryside. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 4 to 6 April.
• Saturday, 25 April: Festa della Liberazione. Liberation Day on 25 April marks the end of Fascist rule and Nazi occupation in 1945. With 1 May close by, it often creates a spring bridge. It falls on a Saturday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Friday, 1 May: Festa del Lavoro. Labour Day on 1 May honours workers with marches and gatherings, and it is often a first spring long weekend for short trips. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 1 to 3 May.
• Tuesday, 2 June: Festa della Repubblica. Republic Day on 2 June marks the 1946 vote for the Republic, with the military parade in Rome and the Frecce Tricolori flying over the city. Take Monday, 1 June off and you have 4 days in a row, 30 May to 2 June.
• Saturday, 15 August: Ferragosto o Assunzione. Ferragosto on 15 August is the peak of the Italian summer: cities empty out while beaches and mountains fill up, and many businesses close for the week. It falls on a Saturday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Sunday, 4 October: San Francesco d'Assisi. The feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, on 4 October returns as a national holiday from 2026. Assisi celebrates with pilgrims and ceremonies. It falls on a Sunday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Sunday, 1 November: Tutti i Santi. All Saints' Day is a day to remember the dead, with candles and flowers on family graves. It often creates an autumn long weekend. It falls on a Sunday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Tuesday, 8 December: Immacolata Concezione. The Immaculate Conception on 8 December opens the Christmas season in Italy, with markets, lights and the ponte dell'Immacolata long weekend. Take Monday, 7 December off and you have 4 days in a row, 5 to 8 December.
• Friday, 25 December: Natale. Christmas Day is a day for family meals and church, with nearly everything closed. Leave in the week after it gives a long winter break. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 25 to 27 December.
• Saturday, 26 December: Santo Stefano. The second day of Christmas, St Stephen's Day, is another day off for family visits, winter walks and leftovers, before the quiet week until New Year. It falls on a Saturday, and Italy's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.

Italy next to the other countries

South Korea has the most with 18 public holidays in 2026, Mexico the fewest with 7. Italy sits in between with 13.

Mexico

South KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Its best break, 1 to 4 January, returns 4,0 days off per day of leave. 3 countries get a better ratio this year, mostly thanks to an extra public holiday next to a weekend.