December in Naples is Christmas. Not the commercial kind. The Neapolitan kind: presepi (nativity scenes) as high art, Via San Gregorio Armeno as the most famous Christmas street in Italy, and zampogne (bagpipe players) on every corner.
Plan this trip →The nativity scene street. Artisans sell handmade presepe figures year-round, but December is when it explodes. Traditional figures (Mary, Joseph, shepherds) alongside satirical additions (every year the artisans add politicians, football players, celebrities as presepe characters). A complete handmade Neapolitan presepe can cost €200–5,000. A single figure: €5–500 depending on artisan and size.
8–14°C, occasional rain, mild by European standards. You can eat outdoors with a jacket.
Dec 8: Immacolata (national holiday) — the Pope places a wreath on the Colonna in Piazza di Spagna in Rome, but in Naples the celebrations are bigger. Christmas Eve (La Vigilia): the Feast of the Seven Fishes (actually 13 dishes in Naples). Restaurants are fully booked weeks ahead. New Year’s Eve: fireworks over the Bay of Naples (visible from the Lungomare for free). Lentils + cotechino at midnight for good luck.
Shoulder season except Dec 20–Jan 6 (Christmas/New Year premium, +30–50%). Early December: €70–110/night.