Fuel discounts halved from December 1st
The current discount on fuel tax will be halved starting from December 1st, bringing it down from 30.5 cents on every litre of petrol or diesel to around 18.3 cents per litre.
The discount on methane – 10.4 cents per litre – will instead remain unchanged.
The measure, which was included in the 2023 draft budget law published earlier this week, has attracted significant criticism from consumer groups amid the soaring cost of living.
24-hour national strike
Some travellers will find their journeys to, from and within Italy will be disrupted by strike action again during the last month of 2022.
READ ALSO: Nine things to know if you’re visiting Italy in December
The demonstration currently expected to create the greatest amount of disruption will be on Friday, December 2nd: be a 24-hour national strike affecting air and rail travel as well as local public transport in some cities.
See the details available about the strike action so far here.
Public holiday
Thursday, December 8th is a public holiday in Italy as residents celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Festa dell’Immacolata Concezione).
December 8th unofficially marks the beginning of the Christmas period, with most towns putting up their Christmas lights in the days preceding the date and pretty much everything in the country – especially administration-related procedures – noticeably slowing down from this point on.
As a word of advice, you might want to get any important paperwork done before December 8th – or else it may have to wait until January 6th when the Italian holidays officially end.
World Cup final
Despite being plagued with controversy over its host’s poor human rights record, the Qatar 2022 World Cup is now underway and many football fans in Italy will be following along.
December 18th is when the final match of the tournament will take place, and bars and sports venues up and down the country will be screening the event.
READ ALSO: How to find football World Cup matches on Italian TV
Since Italy’s national team failed to qualify this year, it’s unlikely there will be much disruption on the day.
Winter solstice
Don’t forget that the winter solstice (solstizio d’inverno) will fall on December 21st.
The winter solstice, which is when the Earth’s northern hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the Sun, marks the official beginning of the astronomical winter (December 21st-March 20th).
It’ll also be the shortest day of the year: people in Italy will only get between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of daylight, depending on location.
Christmas holidays
This Christmas looks set to be Italy’s first in two years without any Covid restrictions.
That means the country’s traditional Christmas markets, a number of which were cancelled last year due to safety concerns, are up and running again this December.
READ ALSO: Seven of Italy’s most enchanting Christmas markets in 2022
Contrary to what some may think, December 24th (Christmas Eve) is not an official public holiday in Italy. However, many companies do give their staff the day off as a gesture of goodwill, so don’t forget to speak with your employer to know what they’ll be offering you this year.
Unlike December 24th, December 25th (Christmas Day) is a public holiday but, sadly, it falls on a Sunday this year, meaning there will be no extra day off.
That said, residents do eventually get a day off on Monday, December 26th, known as St Stephen’s Day in Italy and Boxing Day in English-speaking countries.
New Year’s Eve celebrations
This year, we’ll be ringing in the New Year on a Saturday, which once again means no extra day off work for most.
That said, we doubt that the unlucky coincidence will dampen celebrations, especially after the past two editions were dulled to some extent by social restrictions and a not-so-bright collective mood.
READ ALSO: Red pants, smashed plates and bingo: Six reasons Italian New Year is awesome
Italy’s budget law deadline
After weeks of back-to-back consultations between ministers, Italy’s new cabinet unveiled its 2023 draft budget law earlier this week, with parliament now having until December 31st to approve the law’s text.
The new budget bill includes measures amounting to a total of 35 billion euros, with more than 21 billion going towards supporting households and businesses in the face of soaring utility bills.
However, the government’s decision to allow businesses to refuse card payments for smaller amounts has been dubbed a “gift to tax dodgers”.
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