liz

We'll be in Lucca for Christmas and were hoping to do a little shopping while we are there but the only day we will have free is December 26th. Does anyone know if life gets back to normal in Italy on the day after Christmas?!

Geoff Hamer

26 December is a public holiday in Italy, the same as the 25th, and shops are closed.

xxx

26th IS still Christmas. It is the second Xmas Day (Boxing Day), and I think it is a holiday all over Europe. Restaurants are open, though.

John

Italians definately will not bopther oprning shops on 26th. Best chance is the UK.

Geoff Hamer

26 December is a public holiday in most European countries but not in France: it's a normal working day there and the shops will be open.

BritGuy

Boxing Day is British ONLY!!A true holiday.

Alice Twain

Britboy, you are right, in italy we do not have Boxing Day, but December 26 is still a public holiday: it's saint Stephen's day, and everything is closed!

Christmas

Christmas is not limited to Dec 25 in Europe. In half of Europe, the main celebrations are on Christmas Eve, Dec 24.

eric

No luck in UK either - it's Boxing Day, and it is a holiday (although you may find some things open in large cities). In most of the UK, everything shuts down from 24 Dec through 2 or 3 Jan.<BR><BR>(Sorry Liz, I know you asked about Italy, but I just wanted to dispel the idea that things are open in the UK for anyone who might be misled by that!)

Dominic

Eric:<BR>Assuming you're British you must live in a pretty out of the way place. Boxing Day is now one of the biggest days of the year for the major retailers. The last 5 years have seen a gradul imposition fro many shop workers of new contracts which stipulate that they maybe required to work not only sundays but also (explicitly) Boxing Day and New Years Day.<BR>Most Service/Financial sectors are closed between Dec 25th and Jan 1 inclusive (Jan 2 in Scotland) and so retailers have cottoned on to the fact that this is one of the main opportunities for many families to go shopping en masse. Besides which people tend to be suffering cabin-fever and/or shopping-withdrawal by about 10am on Boxing Day morning. Hence all regional centres (by which I mean not only places like Meadowhall or Bluewater or Cribbs Causeway but also Regionally significant town/city centres like Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff) will be open on Boxing Day and indeed right through. Retail staff really only get Christmas Day these days.<BR><BR>I know this is nothing to do with Italy but I'm sure many posters here will be interested in holidaying in the UK over the Christmas period.<BR><BR>D.

liz

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses......I guess I'll just have to stick to art &amp; culture (not too difficult in Lucca!)<BR>Liz

reader

Liz, I wouldn't be so sure the museums will be open! Churches yes.

Dianne

I'm going to be in Florence on boxing day. According to the Bargello museum website, their holidays are Dec 25, Jan 1, and May 1. Same for the Uffizi. Is it possible museums are really open on Dec 26 in Italy?!

Denise

I'm going to be in florence also on the 26th and I checked on the websites for the accademia and the uffizi. One was open and the other was closed...don't remember which one.

Alice Twain

Reader:<BR><BR>Usually on Santo Stefano (December 26) museums are open, they maight be closed on Christmas, but on the next day they are usually open.