Christmas in Florence is a wonderful experience, the holiday season is always a fun time to visit.

Celebrations start early in December and continue through to January, and there is a lot that happens during this time.

Christmas is definitely one of my favorite times of the year in Florence. This stunning city that already has plenty of beauty on its own, all of a sudden gets an extra touch of magic.

It’s a great time to come to the city and enjoy it with less crowds and all the gorgeous festive decorations.

Christmas is still very much a family affair in Italy. The Italians even have a saying: ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi’, meaning ‘Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want’. This emphasizes the importance of Christmas as a family holiday here.

Christmas food traditions

Italian Christmas starts with La Vigilia (Christmas Eve) on December 24. In some families there will be a big dinner, traditionally without any meat. Religious people will go to the midnight mass, the official start of Christmas.

On December 25 Christmas Day is celebrated, and for families who do not do a big meal on the 24th, this is the day they go all out for a huge Christmas lunch.

A Florentine (or Tuscan) lunch will typically have a few staples includes, such as crostini toscani (crostini with chicken liver spread), cappelletti in brood (filled pasta in a tasty broth) and some kind of meat (usually pork) as a main.

Something you’ll find everywhere in Italy as a dessert is the famous panettone (a big brioche-like bread with candied fruits and raisins in it) or pandoro (a large cake coated in powdered sugar).

A very local tradition that however is not practiced as much anymore, would be the burning of a big block of wood (‘ceppo’) in the fireplace on the morning of the 25th. The family would play games whilst the block was burning, and the big lunch was being prepared. However, with less and less houses having a fireplace this tradition has almost entirely disappeared.

Gifting for the Christmas holidays

Gifts are an important part of Italian Christmas traditions. They are not only given to your direct family, people tend to get something for all their friends as well.

This can be anything, from a bottle of wine or a good panettone, to something more personal. Gifts between friends are usually exchanged in the weeks/days leading up to Christmas, family gifts will be given out either on the night of the 24th or on Christmas Day.

As I already mentioned in my introduction, Christmas to me is a very special time in Florence.

Florence Christmas Markets

The Christmas feeling usually begins with the start of the Christmas market in Piazza di Santa Croce, in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Here you’ll find little wooden houses selling all kinds of foods and goodies from all over Europe, that has become a much-loved tradition amongst the Florentines. The market usually lasts for a few weeks, starting the last week of November.

The other big festive market is set up at the Florence Ice Village on the edge of the Cascine park each year. Here there is a Ferris wheel and ice skating rink, and a Christmas market is set up in December. This usually runs through December into early January, and while you have to pay to enter, it is very Christmassy.

Lights and Christmas trees in Florence

This is also the time of year when you can start to see some Christmas decorations pop up. For years now the municipality of Florence has decorated various parts of the historic center with themed decorations.

The area around Via Tornabuoni and the big shopping streets in the historic center are especially worth a visit.

The lights are usually lit up on the night of December 8, which traditionally marks the beginning of the religious Christmas festivities with the Festa dell’Immacolata. This is a national holiday in Italy, celebrating the Immaculate Conception.

This is also the night that the large Christmas tree in the Piazza del Duomo is lit up, as well as the nativity scene next to it being revealed, perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit.

December 8 is the day that marks the start of holiday celebrations across Italy, so if you’re also looking to travel to Rome, Venice, Naples or other major cities, you’ll see festive decorations after this date.

In Florence Christmas trees are also put up at Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza di San Firenze (close to the Bargello Museum), in front of the Basilica Santa Maria Novella, and Piazza della Repubblica to name a few locations.

For the last couple of years, the week of December 8 has marked the starting point of the Green Line Firenze light festival. Various buildings in the city get lit up with video projections and special light installations can be found throughout the city. Every year the festival has a theme that connects all the different works of art.

Christmas Masses

If you would like to attend midnight mass, these are the details for the main basilicas in Florence:

Santa Maria del Fiore

The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church in Florence, also known as the Duomo due to its distinctive red brick dome.

The Christmas mass takes place at midnight, but seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis so you will need to arrive by 10:30PM at the latest to ensure you get inside.

On Christmas morning another mass is celebrated at 10:30AM.

Santa Maria Novella

The basilica opposite the train station also holds a special mass, starting at 11:45PM on December 24. As with the mass at the Duomo, you will need to arrive at least an hour before to ensure you get a seat.

Santa Croce

Found in Piazza Santa Croce next to the most famous of Florence’s Christmas markets, the basilica holds the traditional mass at midnight.

This is a well-attended event as many locals enjoy the atmosphere of this service, so again, be sure to arrive in plenty of time.

Even though Italians and Florentines traditionally wouldn’t go out for a meal for Christmas, over the last couple of years that has changed a bit.

Even though Christmas is still predominantly celebrated at home, a lot of restaurants will open at least one of the Christmas days. They will typically serve a special menu, consisting of multiple courses, instead of a la carte.

The more high-end restaurants will generally serve you their interpretation of Christmas classics, whereas smaller trattorias will stick with the traditional fare.

If you have a specific restaurant in mind where you want to eat, make sure to arrange reservations well in advance. Sometimes restaurants publish their Christmas offers and opening hours on their website, but more often than not you will need to make a call or send an email to find out what they’re doing for the holidays.

If you’re planning to stay in a hotel for Christmas in Florence, they will often know of restaurants that do Christmas dinners and be able to make reservations for you. Some hotels that have a restaurant will even set up their own dinners for their guests.

The month of December is a good time to visit Florence. Even though the winter weather will be colder and there is a chance of rain, you avoid the crowds and will get to enjoy the city in a more authentic way.

Museums will be closed on December 25, but they are usually open on the 26th. Do make reservations in advance though for the big museums like the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries, as they tend to get quite crowded with all the locals looking for something to do.

While most restaurants, shops and sites will be closed for a few days over the festive period, generally this is not for long.

If you have a particular place you want to go, double check in advance any closure dates and times to avoid being disappointed.