ITALY / Holidays & Leasure

Holidays & Leasure

National Holidays
New Year’s Day 1st January
Epiphany  6th January
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
Liberation Day 25th April
Labour Day 1st May
Republic Day 2nd June
August Bank Holiday (Ferragosto) 15th August
All Saints’ Day 1st November
Immaculate Conception 8th December
Christmas Day 25th December
Saint Stephen’s Day 26th December
 
 
EVENTS IN ITALY

New Year’s Concert: it is celebrated at the Scala Theatre in Milan and it is a classical music concert with the best International opera singers.

Sanremo: it is the most important music festival since 1951 which takes place in February. This town is situated near Genova and is famous also for its Casinò and flowers (there are beautiful flower fields). The festival is celebrated once a year at the Ariston Theatre and famous Italian and international singers take part in it.

Venice Carnival: it is an attraction where there is a parade in the main streets and squares of the city. In this parade there are decorated chariots and a lot of people dress up with famous and beautiful Venetian masks.

2nd June Parade: on this day the founding of the Italian Republic (1946) is celebrated. The President of the Republic Head makes a speech reminding us of the importance of the Republic. There is also a parade of all the armed forces and the Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Airforce, soars high in the skies in an incredible display.

Venice Film Festival: it is a film festival that takes place in Venice in September and the best International movies, directors and actors receive important awards. Giro D’Italia: it consists in a bike race around Italy. The most talented Italian and international cyclists of Italy take part in this competition.

Milan Fashion Week: it is the most important event of the fashion business. There are two: one in February, for the Fall-Winter Collection, the other in September, for the Spring-Summer Collection. The most famous Italian Fashion Houses like Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Valentino put on show their latest collections. It attracts the most popular International fashion journalists.

New Year’s Eve Concerts: there is a concert in almost every important city. The most famous singers perform in these concerts and at Midnight there is the countdown for the New Year.
 
LEISURE

Winter
People like going skiing: there are a lot of ski resorts all over Italy. In fact there are two important mountain chains called the Alps and the Appennines situated in the northern and in the central part of the country. Some important ski resorts are, for example, Roccaraso (central Italy) and Cortina D’Ampezzo (Northern Italy).

Other popular pastimes are going to the cinema or for a walk in the city centre with friends or shopping. Shopping centres are open from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm while shops in the city centres are usually open from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 4.00 pm to 7.30 pm.
 
 
Summer
Italy is surrounded on three sides by the sea. People who live in cities on the coasts like Pescara, Naples and Genoa rent a beach umbrella and deck chairs for the summer time and go to the beach to relax, sunbathe and swim in the sea. Instead, people who live in big cities that are situated in internal areas of the country like Milan, Florence and Turin, usually visit the most important monuments and museums of the city or go to the seaside in cities on the coast. Another important aspect of Italy is the food: in fact Italians love getting together and sharing a good meal and enjoying a superb glass of wine.
 
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information there