So, you’re heading to Italy.  Maybe you want to relish in our country’s holidays.  Or, maybe you want to avoid them (and the crowds they can bring).  Here’s a listing of both local and national holidays to help you out.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

• January 1st:  New Year’s Day
• January 6th: Epiphany                                                                                                                         
• Carnevale: Not an official public holiday, but festivities are celebrated throughout Italy six weeks prior to Easter Sunday
• Easter Sunday and Easter Monday: Dates change each year based on the religious calendar
• April 25th: Liberation Day
• May 1st: Labor Day
• June 2nd: Anniversary of the Republic
• August 15th: Ferragosto (Assumption of Mary)
• November 1st: All Saints’ Day
• December 8th: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• December 25th:  Christmas Day
• December 26th:  Santo Stefano (commonly known as the 2nd day of Christmas)

LOCAL HOLIDAYS

Each city or village in Italy has its own patron saint and will have special festivities on their saint’s day.  The Cinque Terre villages are no exception with suggestive religious processions along the narrow streets, some ending with fireworks over the water (like for San Lorenzo in Manarola).  See below for each village’s patron saint and their day of celebration.

Riomaggiore:  San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist), June 24th

Manarola:  San Lorenzo (St. Laurence), August 10th

Corniglia: San Pietro (St. Peter), June 29th

Vernazza: Santa Margherita di Antiochia (St. Margaret of Antioch), July 20th

Monterosso: San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist), June 24th

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Just outside of the Cinque Terre but most definitely worth a visit for their patron saint festivities:

Portovenere:  Madonna Bianca (Miracle of the White Madonna), August 17th

Levanto: San Giacomo (St. James), July 25th