The many holidays in Florence range from national holidays to distinctly Florentine ones, and some can’t be seen anywhere else in the world.
Of course the big holidays like Christmas are a huge deal in Florence, but there are many more that take place through the year
Throughout the year there are many holidays so whenever you’re visiting Florence, the chances are you’ll encounter at least one.
In this guide I’ll be taking you through what to expect and how to join in the celebrations so let’s dive in.
Holidays in Florence – When and What the Florentines Celebrate Each Year
Florence is a popular city, with visitors placing it high on their Italy must-do list. But, it also has a local heart and many of its festivals and holidays are about tradition, keeping local customs alive.
Some involve closures of shops, restaurants and museums whereas others are more about simply having fun.
Many of the holidays in Florence are celebrated with historical parades and performances by locals, as for La Fiorita di San Zanobi
On this page, I’ll be talking about these Florentine holidays, some of which are Italy-wide:
New Year’s Day
The new year always starts with a holiday, with New Year’s Day being one of the few holidays that involve almost universal closures.
Most museums will be closed, along with shops and other businesses. Restaurants tend to be open, but sometimes will only open for lunch or dinner rather than their regular hours.
New Year’s Day is all about relaxing with friends and family over a long leisurely lunch
This doesn’t make it a bad time to be in the city, as this is definitely still the holiday season. You can also visit a few of the museums that do stay open, or attend one of the special concerts held to mark the beginning of the new year.
Or, instead you can copy the locals and go out for a big lunch before walking around the city. All the festive lights and decorations are still up, and plenty of bars and cafes will be open serving coffee, hot chocolate and cocktails.
Epiphany/Befana
In most European countries the Christmas period comes to an end on January 6, celebrating the Epiphany.
This is the day when the three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus, and has historically been a very important date in the Christian calendar.
As well the Ephiphany, on January 6 Italians also celebrate La Befana, a witch-like character who flies around on her broom leaving treats for good children and lumps of coal for bad children.
These toy witches are the Befana and you will see them all over Florence in early January
Despite her slightly frightening appearance, Befana is a good witch. Here in Italy stockings are hung up on the evening of January 5 ready for Befana to fill with presents, so after Christmas you’ll see brightly colored stockings appear in the supermarkets.
You won’t have to worry about closures on this day, pretty much everything is open as normal.
La Fiorita di San Zanobi
The exclusively Florentine holiday La Fiorita di San Zanobi is based on local folklore.
Saint Zanobius was Florence’s first bishop. After his death he was laid to rest in a church, but in the year 429 it was decided he should be re-interred in the cathedral of Santa Reparata.
He was carried through the city in a procession in January, during which his coffin brushed up against some bare trees near the Baptistery. One of these trees suddenly came back to life and bloomed with leaves. This miracle drew many people, and in time the tree was replaced with a column in the piazza.
The procession in Piazza della Signoria for La Fiorita is a lot of fun if you’re in the city on this day
On January 26 every year this event is commemorated with a historical parade from the Piazza della Parte Guelfa to Piazza della Signoria and on to the column in front of the Baptistery.
Here a wreath will be laid in memory of San Zanobi and his miracle. Watching the parade march through the old streets is a lot of fun, with flags being waved and music playing.
The ceremony takes place in the morning and nothing is closed so will otherwise not impact your trip.
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Valentine’s Day
Just being in Florence on Valentine’s Day is romance personified, but there are some extra special things you can do to mark this holiday with your loved one.
Take a walk in the Boboli Gardens and feel the romance of the fountains and sculptures that bring the gardens their beauty. Or, take a trip up to Piazzale Michelangelo for great views over the city, especially romantic at sunset when the light settles on the river and highlights the city bridges.
Watching the sunset over the river Arno – what could be more romantic?
Of course there is no end to the cosy, intimate restaurants where you can dine with your special someone, or head to one of Florence’s historic cafes for something sweet.
Whatever you decide to do, it is easy to have a romantic trip in Florence.
Curious to know more, or want to share your own tips? Leave a comment!
Carnival
Held in February each year in the run-up to Easter, Carnival in Florence is not the same extravagant affair as in Venice, but is still a lot of fun. The exact dates are fluid, as they are the 2 weeks before Lent starts.
There is a big parade with extravagant costumes (some historical), parading through the streets with loud music and lots of flourishes, as well as floats, and there are plenty of sweet treats on offer. Try Schiacciata alla Fiorentina which is only made in Florence for this holiday.
Florentine New Year
Every year, on March 25, Florentines celebrate their original new year.
Originally this date was the official start of the year, the day of the Immaculate Conception. However when the Gregorian calendar was adopted across Europe in 1582, the start of the year was switched to January 1.
Florentines were not convinced by the change, and continued to follow the old calendar, and to celebrate on March 25. It was not until 1750 that Florence finally switched over, but they have continued to celebrate their own New Year as well ever since.
There are many events held all over the city to mark the date, plus a historical parade of traditionally dressed people making their way through the streets.
It’s not an official holiday so nothing will be closed, but it’s a fun testament to Florentine history.
Easter
As well as the typical Italian Easter celebrations in Florence, there’s one that’s unique to this city: the Explosion of the Cart, the Scoppio del Carro. This fun ritual takes place on Easter Sunday and dates back almost 400 years.
A cart is pulled through the streets of the city by oxen, in memory of a young Florentine man who raised the Christian banner over the walls of Jerusalem during the Crusades.
After the cart reaches the piazza in front of the Duomo, locals and visitors gather to watch as the cart is set alight by a fake dove set down a line from inside the cathedral.
The Exploding Cart is uniquely Florentine celebration of the important Easter holiday
The cart is stacked with fireworks inside it so it makes for a big display. If everything goes to plan and all fireworks go off, a prosperous year for Florence is in store.
Liberation Day
Liberation Day commemorates the fall of fascism in Italy. The public holiday, celebrated on April 25 is quite low-key. Many shops will be closed, but most restaurants stay open.
Most museums will also be open, but sometimes with special opening hours, so make sure to check the website of the museum you’d like to visit in advance.
Apart from the laying of wreaths at historical monuments and some military demonstrations, it’s a quiet day and many locals take the opportunity to leave the city and take their own day’s holiday.
Beyond the ceremony in front of Palazzo Vecchio your plans will not be disrupted on Liberation Day
Festa della Repubblica
The Festa della Repubblica is the celebration of Italy becoming a republic in 1946 and takes place all over Italy on June 2. In Florence, it’s a pretty big celebration and takes all day.
A flag-raising ceremony begins at 10AM and the president of the city council gives a speech at Palazzo Vecchio.
Many shops and restaurants will stay open, and some museums offer free entry on this day. Live music plays and street food vendors pull up in the center, turning Florence into one big street party.
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La Festa di San Giovanni
On June 24, the Festa di San Giovanni celebrates the patron saint of the city: John the Baptist. It does so with a full day of events, starting in the morning with a procession following the cross of the saint.
The procession ends in the Piazza del Duomo, when candles are symbolically given to the saint in the Baptistery which bears his name. There is then a special mass in the cathedral next door.
The Baptistery is the focus of the celebrations for the Festa di San Giovanni
In the afternoon four football teams from historic neighbourhoods of the city come together to play an old form of football (soccer) in Piazza Santa Croce. Then in the evening a grand fireworks display from Piazzale Michelangelo celebrating the patron saint lights up the sky.
As with the other Florentine events, this is not a public holiday so nothing will be closed, although access to the Duomo and Baptistery is restricted during the morning.
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Ferragosto
Ferragosto originates in the ancient Roman tradition of celebrating and resting after weeks of hard work bringing in the harvest.
Today it’s still a time when Italians take the chance to rest and have a holiday. Therefore, you will find many shops and restaurants closed.
The public holiday of Ferragosto falls on August 15 but most Italians will plan their summer holidays around it, making the month of August a more slow-paced time here.
Learn more about the origins of this ancient holiday and how it’s celebrated in Italy in our special Romewise page here.
Picnics outside, enjoying the sun and relaxing late into the long evenings is what Ferragosto is all about
Halloween
Although not traditionally a holiday and also not a public holiday, Halloween seems to have conquered large parts of Europe in recent years.
There is a lot more happening in Florence for Halloween these days than there ever has been. However, don’t expect the same level of interest and activity as in the US, trick or treating isn’t common for example.
Focused mainly on activities for kids, check local listings for spooky tours of museums, magic shows and pumpkin patches around Florence. For adults, there are some bars and restaurants that run themed evenings. The Mercato Centrale has also put on Halloween-themed club nights in recent years to help you enjoy spooky season.
All Saints Day and All Souls Day
All Saints Day on November 1 celebrates all Catholic saints. It’s a public holiday and in Florence, like in most of Italy, it’s a low-key celebration.
On All Souls Day (Giorno dei Morti) on November 2, Italians commemorate their loved ones. This is a religious event rather than a public holiday and so the celebrations will not impact your trip.
Visiting cemeteries like the one at San Miniato al Monte is common for Italians at the start of November
Italians will spend the day visiting cemeteries and remembering loved ones, so it’s much more about spending time with family than being out celebrating.
Christmas
As you might expect from one of the biggest holidays in Italy, Christmas in Florence is marked with plenty of celebrations.
Officially the festive season starts on December 8 with the Immacolata, the Catholic feast day celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This is a public holiday in Italy but very little will be closed, beyond businesses and some shops.
This date marks the appearance of Christmas trees, lights and nativity scenes all over Florence.
There are trees and lights everywhere in Florence for Christmas
For the actual holidays, there are three days of celebrations. On Christmas Eve it is traditional to have a big dinner in the evening before going to midnight mass. Christmas Day is all about family time, so almost everything is closed. The following day, St Stephen’s Day, is also a public holiday but sometimes big museums will be open.
If you want to go out to eat over Christmas, you’ll need to book a place as restaurants tend to offer a special menu with reduced opening hours.
New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve in Florence is a big deal, with many people going out to celebrate. Restaurants offer gala dinners, plenty of wine is drunk and you have to eat some lentils (they are a symbol of good fortune for the year ahead).
The main event is the fireworks that erupt at midnight from Piazzale Michelangelo. They and can be seen from all over the city but head to the banks of the Arno river for the best views.
Soak up the atmosphere in the city streets, where music will be playing, the holiday lights are still up, and there are plenty of people out enjoying themselves.
Piazza della Signoria is always a popular place to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Florence
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To sum up…
Holidays in Florence are all about spending time with friends and family, as well as celebrating the traditions that have shaped the city for centuries. Even when certain holidays lead to some sights or shops being closed, there will always be something for you to do, so be flexible and enjoy the celebrations if they coincide with your visit!
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