What to do in Rome in December: Christmas, nativity scenes and New Year

December is the month of lights, nativity scenes and the Piazza Navona fair, but also one of the rainiest and shortest on daylight. The city fills up again from the Immaculate Conception bridge weekend and above all between Christmas and New Year, while the first half of the month stays quiet. This guide gives the weather, the dates of December 2026 day by day, the closures to know about and a plan for each week. Information checked in October 2026; the detailed programme for the 2026-2027 festivities was not yet published, so we say what is confirmed and what repeats the previous edition.

The weather in Rome in December

According to the 1991-2020 climate normals published by climate websites, December in Rome averages about 5 °C at night and 13 °C by day, with around 98 mm of rain over about ten days. It rarely freezes in the city, but mornings and evenings are cold: pack layers, a windproof coat and a compact umbrella. The sun sets around 16:45 in mid-December (21 December is the shortest day); that is when the lights and nativity scenes come into their own.

Piazza Navona during the Christmas fair

The calendar for December 2026

Tuesday 1 December: usual start of the Christmas fair on Piazza Navona. The previous edition ran from 1 December to 6 January; the 2026-2027 dates were not published in October.
Sunday 6 December: first Sunday of the month, state-run sites are free (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon…), with crowds: see the free things to do in Rome.
Tuesday 8 December: Immaculate Conception, a public holiday in Italy. Tradition is to lay flowers at the foot of the monument to the Immaculate Conception, near the Spanish Steps: firefighters climb up to lay the first wreath in the morning, and the pope went there in the afternoon in 2025. Confirm the 2026 programme with the Vatican. Many shops and sites close or shorten their hours that day.
Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve. The dinner (cenone), often fish, is eaten with family; the night Mass is celebrated at St Peter's.
Friday 25 December: Christmas. The Colosseum and the Vatican Museums are closed, as are many restaurants and shops; check the day's transport hours with ATAC.
Saturday 26 December: St Stephen's Day (Santo Stefano), a public holiday in Italy, with the pope's Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square.
Sunday 27 December: last Sunday of the month, free entry to the Vatican Museums from 9:00 to 14:00, with big crowds.
Thursday 31 December: New Year's Eve, see New Year in Rome. The Colosseum will be closed on Friday 1 January 2027.

For the midnight Mass, tickets, the Urbi et Orbi blessing and the Vatican tree, see Christmas in Rome 2026: Masses, hours and closures; for the nativity scenes and the fair, see the page on Christmas in Rome.

What to do in Rome in December

The lights and the fair: stroll at dusk between Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the via del Corso, very lively at weekends.
Nativity scenes: churches put on nativity scenes, starting with the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which keeps the figures of Arnolfo di Cambio's crib; under the colonnade of St Peter's Square, the "100 Presepi in Vaticano" exhibition ran from 8 December to 8 January in 2025-2026 (2026-2027 dates to be confirmed).
Museums: December is a good season for the Borghese Gallery, the Capitoline Museums or Palazzo Barberini, except between Christmas and New Year, when the queues return.
End-of-year concerts: see concerts and shows in Rome. Seats at the Rome Opera go early.
Shopping: the stalls of the Piazza Navona fair, the via del Corso for shops and our souvenirs from Rome. The winter sales start in early January, on a date set each year by the Region.

A week-by-week plan

Week 1 (1-6 December): the quietest, good for the big sites, but avoid the free Sunday of the 6th if you dislike crowds.
Week 2 (7-13 December): Immaculate Conception bridge weekend (Tuesday 8, with Monday 7 if you take it); book your accommodation.
Week 3 (14-20 December): a good time to see the nativity scenes and the lights without many people, before the Christmas holidays.
21 to 31 December: more crowds, closures on the 25th and possibly shorter hours on the 24th and 26th; keep weekdays for the big sites.

Where to stay, getting around and preparing

The Christmas to New Year period is the most expensive of the season: book early, see where to stay in Rome and the budget for a trip to Rome. On 25 December, plan to get around on foot or by taxi; for the rest, see transport in Rome. For the full season, read Rome in winter.