Christmas in Praiano
The Christmas program in the Amalfi Coast village, featuring a charity market, gospel music, and a living nativity scene
About Christmas in Praiano
Christmas in Praiano, a festive Amalfi Coast village
Perched between Positano and Furore, suspended between lemon terraces and the blue Tyrrhenian Sea, Praiano is one of the most intimate villages on the Amalfi Coast. Every year, from the Immaculate Conception long weekend until Epiphany, the Municipality of Praiano—in the province of Salerno, Campania—brings Christmas in Praiano to life, a widespread program that enlivens the squares, the two parish churches, the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, and even the town's scenic trails.
The event is born from the collaboration between the municipal administration, the Pelagos Association, the parishes of San Luca Evangelista and San Gennaro, and a dense network of local volunteer associations. The result is a Christmas of community rather than consumption: no large commercial village, but dozens of free events designed to bring residents and visitors together during the months when the coast rediscovers its authentic rhythm.
Sacred music, gospel, and New Year's concerts
Music is the common thread of the program. The village churches, with their intimate acoustics, host the main concerts: the Gospel Explosion by the Gospel Voices choir directed by maestro Pasquale Castaldo, Christmas concerts with operatic voices, violin, and piano curated by the Praiano Chambre and Jazz Music association, and the Grand New Year's Concert performed by the award-winning «Città di Minori» Band. There is no shortage of folk performances from the Neapolitan and Amalfi traditions, with groups bringing tammorre, songs, and popular dances to the squares.
Charity market and volunteer spirit
One of the most heartfelt moments is the Christmas charity market set up in the rooms of the San Luca parish during the Immaculate Conception weekend: decorations, gift ideas, Poinsettias, panettone, and sweets can be purchased with a small contribution destined for local associations, including AIL, Caritas, and the Italian Red Cross. During the same days, volunteers offer free screenings and prevention initiatives, while close to Christmas, a lunch for the elderly brings the community together around the same table.
Children, families, and the Andrea Pane Cultural Center
- Afternoons in Piazza San Luca with bouncy castles and the arrival of Santa Claus;
- Readings aloud for the little ones with the volunteers of Nati per Leggere;
- Creative workshops and film forums for children, teenagers, and adults;
- Performances and plays by students from Praiano schools;
- Free pediatric life-saving maneuver courses for parents;
- Santa Claus visiting children's homes on Christmas Eve, accompanied by volunteers from the Amalfi Coast Red Cross.
Faith, nativity scenes, and traditions
Alongside civil events, the calendar follows the rhythm of the liturgy. The Feast of Saint Nicholas, with the «Bread Festival» and the ancient custom of distributing blessed bread during the early morning masses, opens the celebrations; this is followed by solemn Christmas, New Year's, and Epiphany masses in the two churches, theatrical performances dedicated to the popular devotion to Saint Gennaro, and, on January 6th, the living nativity scene with the procession of the Magi along the alleys of the historic center.
A Christmas with a sea view
The true uniqueness of Praiano is its landscape. In winter, the Amalfi Coast sheds the summer crowds and the village can be enjoyed calmly, between the majolica dome of San Gennaro, the viewpoints over the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the small Marina di Praia nestled in the fjord. It is no coincidence that the program also includes a guided nature walk on the Path of the Flowering Agaves, between Marina di Praia and Furore, with local environmental guides: a different, and free, way to experience the holidays in Campania.
Useful information
All initiatives of Christmas in Praiano are free and open to the public. Some activities, such as the nature walk and courses at the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, require booking at the Praiano Tourist Information Office. The full program is released every year at the beginning of December through the channels of the Municipality of Praiano and the local coastal press.
Christmas in Praiano — edition 2026
Christmas in Praiano 2025-2026
Promoted by the Municipality of Praiano together with the Pelagos Association, the parishes of San Luca and San Gennaro, and local associations, the 2025-2026 edition offered a particularly dense program, spread over five weeks between December 6, 2025, and January 10, 2026.
The common thread was community: the charity market supporting AIL, Caritas, and the Italian Red Cross, the Christmas lunch for the elderly, Santa Claus visiting children's homes with volunteers from the Amalfi Coast Red Cross, and free pediatric life-saving maneuver courses. On the musical side, highlights included the concert by the «Three Tenors» of the Trio Caruso with a fundraiser for Praiano Salute, the Gospel Explosion by the Gospel Voices choir, and the Grand New Year's Concert by the award-winning «Città di Minori» Band directed by maestro Giovanni Vuolo.
The calendar closed between the living nativity scene and the procession of the Magi on January 6th in the historic center and the folk show by the group «O' Guagliunciell» on January 10th, dedicated to the popular musical traditions of the coast. All initiatives were free and open to the public.
Programme Christmas in Praiano 2026
December 2025
- December 6 — Feast of Saint Nicholas with the «Bread Festival» organized by the San Gennaro parish: distribution of blessed bread during early morning masses.
- December 6-8 — Christmas charity market at the San Luca parish: decorations, gift ideas, Poinsettias, panettone, and sweets supporting AIL, Caritas, and the Italian Red Cross.
- December 7-8 — «Let's Measure Ourselves - Those who love us follow us»: free blood pressure measurement with volunteers from the Italian Red Cross.
- December 14 — 9:00 AM, San Gennaro church: charity market. 2:30 PM, Piazza San Luca: «Welcome to the Christmas Spirit» with bouncy castles and Santa Claus (P.A. Resilienza association), creative activities by the Barattoli Cosmici association, and «low voice» readings by Nati per Leggere Positano for children aged 0-6.
- December 15 — 10:00 AM, San Gennaro church: «Melodies of Peace and Christmas Tales» with school students.
- December 16 — 6:00 PM: Holy Mass and procession for the third patronage of Saint Gennaro. 7:30 PM, San Gennaro church: play «San Gennà, miettece 'a mana toja!», inspired by the 1631 eruption of Vesuvius.
- December 17 — Andrea Pane Cultural Center: film forum for children (3:00 PM) and for teenagers/adults (5:30 PM).
- December 18-19 — Performances and plays by Praiano school students and the Gaetano Scirea Gym; at the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, Christmas greetings from the gymnastics course.
- December 19 — Christmas lunch for the elderly in the San Luca Evangelista church; theatrical performance by the Kindergarten in multiple shifts.
- December 20 — Christmas concert in the San Luca church with the «Three Tenors» of the Trio Caruso, sopranos, and piano, curated by the Praiano Chambre and Jazz Music association: fundraiser for Praiano Salute. At the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, «Nati per Leggere» from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
- December 21 — Andrea Pane Cultural Center: «Swap Party» for clothing exchange (3:00 PM), children's film forum (4:00 PM), and film forum for teenagers/adults (6:30 PM).
- December 22 — Free pediatric life-saving maneuver course at the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, by reservation.
- December 24 — Santa Claus visits the homes of children who wrote a letter, accompanied by volunteers from the Amalfi Coast Red Cross.
- December 25 — Christmas Holy Masses in the San Luca Evangelista church (9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 10:00 PM) and in the San Gennaro church (10:30 AM and 5:30 PM).
- December 27, 7:00 PM — «Gospel Explosion» in the San Gennaro church with the Gospel Voices choir directed by maestro Pasquale Castaldo.
- December 28 — Diocesan Jubilee pilgrimage starting from Cava de' Tirreni towards the San Luca parish.
- December 29, 6:00 PM — Folk show by the group «O Guagliunciello» of Amalfi in the town center.
January 2026
- January 1 — New Year's Holy Masses in both churches and, in the evening (7:00 PM), Grand New Year's Concert in the San Luca Evangelista church with the award-winning «Città di Minori» Band directed by maestro Giovanni Vuolo.
- January 2 — Andrea Pane Cultural Center: children's film forum (3:00 PM) and film forum for teenagers/adults (5:30 PM).
- January 3 — «Nati per Leggere» at the Andrea Pane Cultural Center, from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
- January 4 — Free nature walk on the Path of the Flowering Agaves, from Marina di Praia to Furore Sant'Elia, with guide Candida Esposito of Costa Natura Trekking. Mandatory reservation.
- January 5, 2:30 PM — «Fly Befana, Fly!», show for children at the Parish Museum of the San Luca church.
- January 6 — Epiphany Holy Masses in both churches; 4:00 PM, living nativity scene and procession of the Magi in the historic center; in the evening, Holy Mass with living Gospel and the descent of the Shooting Star.
- January 10 — Concluding folk show by the group «O' Guagliunciell», dedicated to popular musical traditions.
Program released by the Municipality of Praiano and the local Amalfi Coast press; times and appointments may have been subject to changes.
Highlights Christmas in Praiano 2026
- Christmas charity market at the San Luca parish (December 6-8), with proceeds to AIL, Caritas, and the Italian Red Cross.
- Gospel Explosion by the Gospel Voices choir in the San Gennaro church, December 27 at 7:00 PM.
- Grand New Year's Concert by the «Città di Minori» Band in the San Luca Evangelista church, January 1st.
- Living nativity scene and procession of the Magi in the historic center on January 6th, with the descent of the Shooting Star.
- Walk on the Path of the Flowering Agaves between Marina di Praia and Furore, January 4th, with an environmental guide.
- Popular theater with «San Gennà, miettece 'a mana toja!» and folk shows by «O' Guagliunciell».
Prices Christmas in Praiano 2026
Practical information — Christmas in Praiano
How to get there
By car: SS163 Amalfitana road, between Positano and Amalfi. Parking in the center is limited: it is best to leave the car in paid areas along the main road and continue on foot. By bus: SITA Sud lines Amalfi-Positano-Sorrento, stops in Praiano and Vettica Maggiore. By train: Salerno or Vietri sul Mare station, then SITA Sud bus. By plane: Naples-Capodichino airport (approx. 70 km) or Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport (approx. 50 km).
Prices
Free entry to all scheduled events. Mandatory (and free) booking for the guided nature walk and courses at the Andrea Pane Cultural Center.
Contacts
Praiano Tourist Information Office: +39 089 874557 - +39 342 060 2674, [email protected]. Municipality of Praiano, Via Umberto I, 84010 Praiano (SA).
Tips
Comfortable shoes are needed: the village is made of alleys and long staircases. In winter, evenings by the sea are cool and windy, so a windbreaker is recommended. Many accommodations remain open during the holidays with lower rates than in high season, and restaurants offer coastal seafood cuisine without the summer wait times.
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Where does it take place — Christmas in Praiano
Centro storico, chiese di San Luca Evangelista e di San Gennaro, Centro Culturale Andrea Pane