By Farah Mokrani

Copyright euroweeklynews

Italy could soon see October 4 reinstated as a national holiday in honour of St Francis of Assisi, after the country’s lower house of parliament overwhelmingly backed the move.

Supporters say the change is about more than just an extra day off work – it’s about reaffirming a piece of Italy’s soul.

Parliament backs St Francis Day return

On Tuesday, September 23, deputies in the Chamber voted 247 to 2 in favour of the bill, with eight abstentions. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where final approval is expected in the coming weeks. If passed, millions of Italians would once again enjoy a nationwide holiday marking the feast day of St Francis, who has been Italy’s patron saint since 1939.

The celebration was once part of the national calendar but was scrapped in 1977 during a sweeping cut to public holidays designed to boost productivity. For Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, bringing it back is a way to strengthen national identity. St Francis, Meloni has argued, represents “the core of our nation’s identity” through his devotion to the poor and message of peace.

A symbol of faith and identity

While Italy remains one of Europe’s most Catholic nations – with almost 80 per cent identifying as Catholic – fewer Italians today regularly attend church. Data from statistics agency ISTAT shows that only 19 per cent attend weekly mass, while a recent CENSIS survey put the number of practising Catholics even lower, at just 15.3 per cent.

Even so, political leaders across the right-wing coalition have championed the idea. Chamber of Deputies president Lorenzo Fontana hailed Tuesday’s vote, saying: “Rediscovering St Francis also means reviving his message of peace, which is more relevant than ever.”

Grazia Di Maggio of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party went further, calling it a chance to remind Italians of their roots: “It will be the day when Italy remembers, once again, that it is a land with a tradition, a faith, and a soul that no one can erase.”

Holidays, politics and tradition

The debate comes as other European countries wrestle with the balance between tradition and economic pressures. In France, former prime minister François Bayrou floated the idea of scrapping two public holidays to save money. The proposal triggered strikes and public anger, before being shelved by his successor Sébastien Lecornu earlier this month.

In Italy, the momentum is going in the opposite direction. For Meloni, reinstating St Francis Day fits neatly with her broader push to highlight traditional Catholic values and the family in her policies. Critics, meanwhile, argue that introducing another day off could weigh on an already fragile economy, though supporters insist the symbolic and cultural value outweighs the cost.

For now, Italians will have to wait and see whether the Senate gives its green light. But if it does, October 4, 2025 could mark the return of a holiday that blends faith, history and identity – and one that many Italians clearly feel has been missing for nearly half a century.

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