Halloween in Italy exists, but it is a recent import: parties in bars and clubs, themed shop windows, children in costume in residential neighbourhoods, theme parks with “horror” programmes. It is not a tradition, and a foreign guest looking in Rome or Florence for the 31 October they know from home will be disappointed. What Italy has, and what is worth far more, are the days immediately after: All Saints’ Day on 1 November, a national holiday, and All Souls’ Day on the 2nd, with ancient and living regional traditions. In between, the biggest pop-culture event in the West: Lucca Comics & Games. This guide explains what actually happens and what to propose to a family or a group on those days.
See also the calendar of free museum days: 1 November 2026 is also the first Sunday of the month.
Two readings from our own network on the same ground: ItalyPlanner on Italy in October and the Verano cemetery page on EstateRomana. The way we work with tour operators and colleagues is set out in our network manifesto.
What actually happens on 31 October
In the cities, 31 October is an evening of private parties and themed venues, of shops with pumpkins and cobwebs, of children knocking on doors in neighbourhoods where parents have organised themselves. The theme parks (Gardaland, Mirabilandia, Cinecittà World and the others) have run Halloween programmes throughout October for years. In the villages, some municipalities organise themed nights with “scary” visits to castles and crypts. It is entertainment, often well done, but it is not Italian culture; to a guest asking for “Italian Halloween” the honest answer is that it does not exist, and that there is something better.
Lucca Comics & Games: 28 October – 1 November 2026
For the five days around All Saints’, Lucca becomes the capital of comics, gaming, film and cosplay: in 2026 the festival turns 60, under the claim “Legacy”. The Renaissance walls and the historic centre fill with pavilions, exhibitions (from 3 October) and hundreds of thousands of visitors; daily tickets and passes are bought online and sell out on peak days. For a foreign family with teenagers it is a unique experience in Europe; for a group that wants to see Lucca, on the other hand, these are the five days to avoid: hotels across the Lucca area are full months in advance and the centre is impassable.
All Saints and All Souls: the traditions worth having
- Sicily, the Festa dei Morti (2 November): on the night between the 1st and the 2nd the “dead” bring children gifts and sweets — frutta di martorana in almond paste, sugar puppets, ossa di morto biscuits. In Palermo the Fiera dei Morti sells toys and sweets for days. It is the most beautiful tradition, and the least known abroad.
- Monumental cemeteries: on 1 and 2 November Italians go to the cemetery with chrysanthemums. Staglieno in Genoa, the Monumentale in Milan, the Verano in Rome, the Certosa in Bologna are open-air museums; on those days they are alive and busy, and visiting them respectfully is an authentic experience.
- Chestnut festivals and sagre: across the Apennines and the Alps, October and early November are the time of chestnuts, new wine, mushrooms. The village sagre are Italy’s true “autumn festival”.
- The bread and sweets of the dead: pan dei morti in Lombardy, fave dei morti in central Italy, the “bene dei morti” in many regions: every territory has a sweet for that day, and bakeries make it only that week.
What to propose to a foreign family
| Profile | Proposal |
|---|---|
| Family with young children | a chestnut festival in a village of the Apennines or Lazio, a workshop on the sweets of the dead at a bakery, a themed night at a castle if well organised |
| Family with teenagers | Lucca Comics & Games with tickets bought in good time and accommodation in Pisa or Florence; one day, not five |
| Couple or group of adults | Sicily: Palermo for the Festa dei Morti, with the fair and the pastry shops; or a monumental cemetery and a dinner of seasonal dishes |
| Group wanting only classic Italy | remember that 1 November is a holiday and the first Sunday of the month: state museums free and crowded, shops closed in many cities |
For the high-end guest
To the demanding client one proposes neither the costume party nor the crowds of Lucca. One proposes Sicily in a week when Sicilians are at home and the cities have a family air: a private house in Palermo where the table of the Dead is still laid, a pastry chef who opens the workshop to show the martorana, an afternoon in a monumental cemetery with a historian who knows its families. Or, in the North, a castle opened exclusively on the evening of the 31st with a dinner and a true story, not a performance. The advisor knows that on those days the best Italy is the one that does not do Halloween.
Frequently asked questions
Is Halloween celebrated in Italy?
Yes, but as imported entertainment: parties, venues, theme parks. The Italian traditions are All Saints and All Souls, 1 and 2 November.
Is 1 November a holiday?
Yes, a national holiday: many shops and offices are closed, state museums open and, in 2026, free because it is the first Sunday of the month.
When is Lucca Comics & Games 2026?
From 28 October to 1 November 2026; it is the sixtieth edition.
What is the Festa dei Morti in Sicily?
The tradition by which, on the night between 1 and 2 November, the departed bring gifts and sweets to children; in Palermo the Fiera dei Morti is held.
Sources verified on 3 September 2026: Lucca Comics & Games 2026 – official website. The regional traditions described are common knowledge; for events and themed nights in individual municipalities always check official websites.
TourLeaderPro Network — contact us for bespoke programmes in Italy over All Saints’ Day.