What to do in Naples in December

During the month of December, Naples takes on a special charm: thanks to the festivities of December 8th and to the Christmas holidays, the city dresses up to follow centuries-old traditions that Neapolitans cannot miss. Here are some unmissable things to do in Naples in December and during the Christmas holidays.

If you stay in Naples for the end of the year, a show you should definitely not miss is the fireworks in Castel Dell'Ovo, an enchanting way to greet the old year and to welcome the new one.

Visit San Gregorio Armeno, the Nativity Scene's street

Naples is the only city in the world to have an entire street dedicated to Christmas and the nativity scene throughout the year, so you won't miss the opportunity to visit it on foot.

In San Gregorio Armeno you will be able to walk among craft workshops of cribs and shepherds and you will be able to see the skilled artisans creating figurines of all shapes and sizes; here you can also buy wooden and cork houses, materials and tools to build your crib or accessories to enrich it - if you already have one - for each price range.

Furthermore, if you are a collector, you will also be able to buy “unconventional” nativity figurines reproducing characters from the Neapolitan culture such as Totò, Pino Daniele, Massimo Troisi and also international VIPs.

Visit San Carlo Theater

What to do in Naples if you love ballet and the opera? Visit the San Carlo theater! Reachable on foot from the famous Piazza del Plebiscito, the “Teatro San Carlo” is a theater of unparalleled beauty, carefully described by Stendhal. The oldest opera house in the world, commissioned by King Charles of Bourbon, was inaugurated on the 4th of November 1737 and is the largest in Italy. If you love opera, you can't miss it: a bilingual LED is present above the stage and lets you read the opera book both in Italian and English.

If you love ballet and you will be in Naples during the Christmas holidays, we suggest you to attend "The Nutcracker", Čajkovskij's ballet inspired by the fairy tale set during Christmas Eve, when Clara, the main character, receives a soldier-shaped nutcracker as a gift, who magically comes to life bringing her into a magical world. If, on the other hand, you have little time, you can take a guided tour to simply admire the beauty of the theater.

What to eat in Naples in December: tipical street food in Naples

What to do in Naples if you want to taste the real Neapolitan pizza and the typical sweets? You will be able to taste local delicacies such as the real Neapolitan pizza: soft, thin and very digestible, or the pizza "a portafoglio", a small pizza folded just like a wallet or a booklet.

In addition to this savory delicies, in December you can taste the typical Christmas desserts, such as struffoli, roccocò and mostaccioli (or mustaccioli), together with babà and sfogliatelle that you can find throughout the year.

The struffoli are sweets dating back to Magna Graecia: they are fried balls of dough or lard passed in hot honey and placed in a serving dish, decorated with candied fruit, colored sprinkles and pieces of sugar.

The Roccocò are a typical Neapolitan dessert of the Christmas period: soft or hard, in the shape of a donut, composed of almonds, flour, sugar, orange and mandarin peel, the "pisto" (a mixture of spices) candied and honey.

Mostaccioli are typical Christmas biscuits, in a particular rhombus shape, which can be soft or hard, generally covered in a delicious chocolate glaze.

Climate in Naples in December

Usually, in Naples, winter is mild and rainy. Temperatures usually fluctuate by day from 5 to 14 ° C (41 - 57 ° F), with pleasant days and cold nights. You can sometimes admire the snow-covered Vesuvius. As you imagine, December is not the ideal month for bathing in the sea, but you can still walk outdoors and visit many museums and historical sites.