In Campania, Christmas does not last a day, or even two weeks. It is a long journey that begins with the Immaculate Conception on 8 December and ends only in mid-January, when the bonfires of Saint Anthony the Abbot herald Carnival. In between there are religious feasts and country rituals, bagpipes and street lights, big dinners and tombola games. We have put together a calendar for you, date by date, with links to events and to our in-depth guides. For an overview, start from our guide to Christmas in Campania.
8 December: the Immaculate Conception, Christmas lights up
For many Campanian families the Immaculate Conception is the day to start building the nativity scene and putting up the tree. In Naples it is a tradition for firefighters to climb the Guglia dell'Immacolata in Piazza del Gesù Nuovo to lay flowers at the feet of the statue of the Virgin. In these days the towns light up: in Sorrento the M'Illumino d'Inverno programme brings lights and markets to the old town, while in Amalfi the bagpipers start roaming the streets from the Immaculate Conception onwards.
It is also the right time for a stroll along San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity workshops, and to discover the history of the Neapolitan nativity scene. Enthusiasts never miss the nativity art exhibition held every year in the historic centre of Naples.
13 December: Saint Lucy and the first fires
The saint of light brings the first great bonfires of winter. In Mugnano del Cardinale, near Baiano, the Saint Lucy bonfire is lit at dawn on 13 December, after a night-long vigil around the pile of faggots. On the Sorrento peninsula, in Meta, the feast of Saint Lucy begins on the evening of the 12th with the lighting of the great log and continues on the 13th with bonfires accompanied by bagpipes.
From 16 December: the novena and the bagpipers
Nine days before Christmas the novena begins. It is the time of the zampognari, players of zampogna and ciaramella who once came down from the mountains to play before wayside shrines and homes. In many villages the tradition lives on: in Amalfi, in the hamlet of Vettica, the novena ends at dawn on Christmas Eve with music and bagpipes.
On 16 December Naples also has a special date: the feast of the Patronage of San Gennaro, recalling the saint's protection during the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. In the Cathedral people await the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood, in a more intimate atmosphere than in September.
The weeks of the Christmas markets
Between mid-December and Christmas, Campanian families wander among markets and illuminated villages. Among those that draw the most visitors every year are the Christmas markets at the Pietrarsa Museum, among the old locomotives of Portici, and the markets at the Castello dell'Ettore in Apice, in the Sannio. In Salerno, the Luci d'Artista turn the city into an open-air gallery.
24 December: Christmas Eve
For many people in Campania Christmas Eve matters almost more than Christmas Day. In the evening families gather for the big meat-free dinner based on fish: from eel to salt cod, from spaghetti with clams to insalata di rinforzo. Then tombola, midnight Mass and the moment children wait for most: the Christ Child laid in the manger of the nativity scene. We tell you all about it in our guide to Christmas Eve in Campania.
25 December: Christmas Day
Christmas Day is devoted to a long, generous family lunch and to sweets: struffoli, roccocò, mostaccioli, susamielli and all the others in our guide to Christmas sweets in Campania. In the afternoon many homes go back to playing Neapolitan tombola, with the numbers of the smorfia.
But some spend Christmas in the woods: in Baiano, in Irpinia, at dawn on the 25th the men of the village cut the Maio, the tallest, straightest tree, and carry it into town amid songs and music. This is the Feast of the Maio of Saint Stephen, which in the afternoon lights up with a great bonfire. In Amalfi, meanwhile, the bagpipers climb up to play in the hamlets.
26 December: Saint Stephen's Day
The day after Christmas is a holiday in Campania too, with lunches of leftovers, visits to relatives and walks. In Baiano the procession of the patron saint closes the Maio festival. Read our guide to Saint Stephen's Day in Campania to discover all the traditions of the day.
From Saint Stephen's Day onwards it is also the season of living nativity scenes: entire villages turn into Bethlehem for a few evenings, until Epiphany. Among the most loved are the Pietrelcina living nativity, in Padre Pio's village, and the one in Agerola in the Lattari Mountains. You will find the full list, province by province, in our guide to Campania's living nativity scenes.
31 December: New Year's Eve
The last day of the year is packed with rituals: lentils at dinner, tombola, the countdown. In Sorrento the afternoon belongs to the Fire Donkey, the little donkey loaded with fireworks that burns away the old year in Piazza Tasso. At midnight the squares celebrate: New Year's Eve in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples and New Year's Eve in Piazza della Libertà in Salerno. Read our guide to New Year in Campania, with some tips for enjoying the fireworks safely.
1 to 5 January: last nativity evenings and the fair
The first days of the year are quieter, but not empty. Many living nativities hold their last evenings, and on the Amalfi Coast the folk New Year livens up the hamlets. In Naples, in the days before Epiphany, Piazza Mercato fills with wooden huts for the Toy and Stocking Fair, a historic tradition brought back to life.
6 January: Epiphany
On the night between 5 and 6 January the Befana arrives to fill the stockings, and in the morning Naples gathers in Piazza del Plebiscito for the Firefighters' Befana, who abseils down from the Royal Palace. The Magi reach the nativity scene; in Amalfi the procession of the Pastorelli parades. All the traditions of the day are in our guide to Epiphany and the Befana in Campania. «Epiphany takes all the holidays away», says the proverb. But it is not over yet.
17 January: Saint Anthony the Abbot and the bonfires
In mid-January Campania lights its fires again. Saint Anthony the Abbot, protector of domestic animals, is celebrated with great bonfires and the blessing of animals. In the town that bears his name, at the foot of the Lattari Mountains, on the night between the 16th and 17th the great «cippo» of the feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot is lit, together with the porchetta festival. In the province of Salerno, in Campagna, the old town glows with the Fucanoli, amid folk music and country cooking. In Macerata Campania, near Caserta, the feast is tied to the music of the Battuglie di Pastellessa, played on barrels, vats and sickles.
According to popular tradition, masks and music begin with Saint Anthony: the Christmas cycle closes and the way opens to Carnival.
Our planning tips
- Many dates are fixed (13 December, 16 December, 6 and 17 January), but times and programmes change every year: always check the event page and our what's on section.
- For bonfires and living nativities, dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes: you will be outdoors, often in the evening.
- On public holidays Naples and the Amalfi Coast are very busy: use public transport and book ahead.
