Christmas wishes for in-laws USA families love to send at the holidays carry warmth, gratitude, and a little American cheer. Whether you are writing to your mother-in-law in Texas, your father-in-law in Ohio, or your brother-in-law and sister-in-law across the country, the right words can make the family dinner feel even closer. This list brings together heartfelt, funny, and short messages made for American homes, snowy mornings, and long drives home for Christmas. In-laws become family in the truest sense at Christmas. They welcome you to the table, share treasured recipes, cheer for the same football team, and help trim the tree. A thoughtful wish thanks them for that welcome and tells them how much their love means through the year. Use these 45 wishes in a card, a text, a holiday letter, or a toast at the table. Pick one that fits your family, add a personal line about a shared memory, and send it early so it arrives before the turkey is carved and the eggnog is poured. Last up...
Christmas in Lucca is one of Tuscany's best-kept winter secrets. Inside the city's Renaissance walls, the season known as Lucca Magico Natale fills the piazzas with wooden market chalets, starry lights, and the scent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine. Unlike Florence or Siena, Lucca stays calm and walkable in December, so you can enjoy the markets, music, and food without the crowds.
Buon Natale, Merry Christmas in Italian, sounds especially warm here. Locals greet the season on 8 December, the Festa dell'Immacolata, and keep celebrating until Epiphany on 6 January. The main market in Piazza Napoleone runs from 22 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and the whole historic centre glows from late November onward. This guide covers the 15 best things to do at Christmas in Lucca: the ice rink on the walls, the nativity scenes, the concerts, and the Tuscan treats that make Natale a Lucca unforgettable.
Whether you are visiting with children, on a romantic weekend, or on a budget day trip from Pisa or Florence, Lucca rewards slow wandering. Every piazza hides something: a towering tree in Piazza San Michele, a light projection in Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, a choir singing on the walls. Plan a full day or a long weekend, and let the city set the pace.
One practical note: dates follow the published 2026 programme, but events can shift, so confirm times on the official Lucca tourism site before booking. Most of the best experiences here are free: the lights, the markets, the wall walks, and the nativity scenes.
Last updated: November 7, 2026
Jump to: Christmas Markets and Lights | Walk the Walls and Towers | Taste Christmas in Lucca | Nativity Scenes, Concerts and Churches | Family Fun and Day Trips | FAQs | More Christmas Inspiration
Christmas Markets and Lights in Lucca
The markets are the heart of Natale a Lucca. Wooden chalets, local crafts, and festive food fill the city's grandest squares, and every evening the lights switch on across the historic centre.
Browse the Lucca Magico Natale market in Piazza Napoleone. This is Lucca's main Christmas market, a village of wooden chalets that fills the city's largest square from 22 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Browse handmade decorations, woollen scarves, local olive oil, and small gifts you will not find in a chain store. Children can meet Santa Claus, post their letters to him, and warm up with hot chocolate while you shop.
See the Christmas tree in Piazza San Michele. Lucca's largest Christmas tree stands in front of the Church of San Michele in Foro, on the site of the ancient Roman forum. Arrive at dusk, when the tree lights switch on and coloured projections dance across the church's tall Romanesque facade. It is the single most photographed spot in Lucca at Christmas, so come early in the evening for a quieter moment.
Watch the light projections in Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. This oval piazza, built on the shape of a Roman amphitheatre, becomes an open-air light show in December, with stars and festive projections washing over the pastel buildings. Take a slow lap around the ring, then settle at a cafe table with a glass of local wine and watch the colours change. It is one of the most romantic corners of Lucca after dark.
Walk the Walls and Climb the Towers
Lucca's Renaissance walls are the city's pride in every season, but at Christmas they become a glowing promenade above the rooftops. Walk them at dusk, climb a tower, and finish with a spin on the ice.
Walk the Mura di Lucca at dusk. The 4-kilometre ring of tree-lined walls is one of the best-preserved in Europe, and in December it is strung with lights and filled with evening strollers. Walk the full loop in about an hour, or just stroll the stretch above Piazza Napoleone as the market lights flicker below. Bring a warm coat: the breeze across the walls is crisp, and the views over the rooftops are worth lingering for.
Climb the Torre Guinigi for a winter view. The Guinigi Tower is Lucca's most famous landmark, a 45-metre medieval tower with oak trees growing from its rooftop terrace. Climb the 230 steps for a panoramic view over the red rooftops, the walls, and the Apuan Alps beyond. On a clear December day the winter light is superb for photographs, so aim for late afternoon and stay for the sunset.
Skate at the Ice Park on the walls. Lucca's seasonal ice rink sits on the walls themselves, reached by a festively lit ramp near the Antico Caffè. Skates are available to hire, and the rink suits beginners as well as confident skaters, with sessions running through December and into January. Go just after dark, when the rink glows against the city skyline and the market buzz drifts up from below.
Taste Christmas in Lucca: Panforte, Chestnuts and Mulled Wine
Tuscan Christmas food is rich, spiced, and made for sharing, and Lucca's bakeries serve it at its best. Come hungry, and save room for the sweets.
Taste panforte and ricciarelli in a historic pasticceria. Panforte is a dense, spiced cake of honey, nuts, and candied fruit, while ricciarelli are soft almond biscuits dusted with icing sugar, and both belong on every Tuscan Christmas table. Try them at a historic bakery such as Taddeucci on Piazza San Michele, famous for its sweet breads since the 19th century. Buy a box to take home: it travels well and makes a far better souvenir than a snow globe.
Graze your way down Via Fillungo. Via Fillungo is Lucca's main shopping street, and at Christmas its bakeries, delis, and wine shops spill festive tastings onto the pavement. Sample buccellato, Lucca's own sweet bread studded with raisins and flavoured with aniseed, alongside local cheeses, cured meats, and olive oil. It is the tastiest free walk in the city, and a good way to build a picnic for later.
Warm up with vin brulé and thick hot chocolate. Vin brulé, Italy's spiced mulled wine, is sold at the market stalls and in the cafes around Piazza Napoleone, and it is the correct answer to a cold December evening. If wine is not your style, order a cioccolata calda, the thick drinking chocolate that Italian cafes serve like a dessert in a cup. Settle into a warm spot such as Caffe Santa Zita and watch the Christmas crowds drift past the window.
Nativity Scenes, Concerts and Churches
Lucca is the birthplace of the composer Giacomo Puccini, and music runs through its Christmas season. Pair a concert with a quiet nativity scene, and you will see the city's more reflective side.
Admire the presepe in Santa Maria Corteorlandini. The presepe, or nativity scene, is a beloved Italian Christmas tradition, and the church of Santa Maria Corteorlandini hosts one of Lucca's finest. Its figures include Neapolitan pieces dressed in silk, velvet, and damask, with the Three Wise Men in magnificent robes. The scene is usually on display from 8 December, and entry is free, though a small donation is welcome.
Hear a Christmas concert in a Baroque church. Churches, cloisters, and historic palaces across Lucca host concerts throughout December, from Baroque ensembles playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons to choirs singing on the walls. The Teatro del Giglio, Lucca's elegant opera house, traditionally closes the season with a New Year's Day concert on 1 January. Check the programme at the tourist office and book ahead, as the best seats sell out.
Attend Midnight Mass at the Duomo di San Martino. Lucca's cathedral, the Duomo di San Martino, is a Romanesque masterpiece and home to the Volto Santo, a revered wooden crucifix. Christmas Eve Mass here is a moving way to spend the evening, with candlelight, choir music, and a congregation of locals. Arrive early for a seat, dress warmly, and stay for a quiet walk through the illuminated streets afterwards.
Family Fun and Easy Day Trips from Lucca
Lucca is compact, flat inside the walls, and easy with children, a natural base for a Tuscan Christmas holiday. These last three ideas stretch the magic beyond the city centre.
Meet Santa in his village in Vicolo San Carlo. A small courtyard in the historic centre, Vicolo San Carlo, transforms into Santa's Village for the festive season, with games, music, and chances for children to meet Santa himself. It is free to wander through and far less overwhelming than the big-city grottos. Pair it with the market in Piazza Napoleone for a full family morning.
Spend a day at Magico Natale in Villa Reale di Marlia. Just outside Lucca, the grand park of Villa Reale di Marlia hosts its own Magico Natale celebration, with a treasure hunt that leads children through the gardens to Santa, where they can hand over their letters. The published 2026 dates are selected December weekends, including 5 to 8, 12 to 13, and 19 to 20 December, so confirm the exact days on the official site before you go. Adults will enjoy the villa gardens just as much as the children enjoy the hunt.
Take a half-day trip to Pisa or Florence. Lucca sits on an easy train line, with Pisa about 30 minutes away and Florence around 80 minutes. Pisa adds its own Christmas lights, markets, and ice rink to the Leaning Tower, while Florence offers the big German-style market in Piazza Santa Croce and videomapping on the Palazzo Vecchio. Base yourself in calm Lucca, and let the busier cities be a day trip, not a base.
Christmas in Lucca for Families
Families get the best of Lucca at Christmas: the ice rink, Santa's Village, the treasure hunt at Marlia, and a market small enough for children to enjoy without tiring. Most highlights are free, and the flat streets suit pushchairs. Keep one afternoon unscheduled, so the children can simply follow the lights.
Christmas in Lucca for Couples
Couples should plan around the evenings, when Lucca is at its most romantic. Walk the walls at dusk, share an aperitivo in Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, book a candlelit dinner off Via Fillungo, and finish with a Puccini concert. A winter weekend here feels intimate in a way the bigger Tuscan cities rarely manage.
Christmas in Lucca on a Budget
Lucca is one of the cheapest Christmas city breaks in Tuscany. The lights, markets, wall walks, nativity scenes, and church concerts cost nothing, and market street food beats a restaurant bill. Stay just outside the walls, travel by regional train, and visit on a weekday for the lowest prices.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas in Lucca
When does Christmas in Lucca start in 2026?
The Lucca Magico Natale season runs from 22 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, with the main market in Piazza Napoleone open throughout. The artisan market in Piazza San Frediano runs from 8 December to 6 January. Confirm exact times on the official Lucca tourism site before travelling.
Is Lucca worth visiting at Christmas?
Yes. Lucca has proper markets, lights, an ice rink, nativity scenes, and concerts, but it stays far calmer than Florence or Rome in December. It suits families, couples, and anyone who wants a Tuscan Christmas without the crowds.
Where is the Christmas market in Lucca?
The main Christmas market is in Piazza Napoleone, Lucca's largest square, with wooden chalets selling crafts, food, and gifts. A second artisan market fills Piazza San Frediano from 8 December, and smaller stalls appear in other squares across the historic centre.
Can you go ice skating in Lucca at Christmas?
Yes. The seasonal Ice Park rink sits on the city walls near the Antico Caffè, with skate hire available and sessions running through December and into January. Go on a weekday or just after dark for the shortest queues.
What food should you try in Lucca at Christmas?
Start with panforte and ricciarelli from a historic bakery, then try buccellato, Lucca's aniseed sweet bread, on Via Fillungo. Warm up with vin brulé from a market stall or a thick cioccolata calda in a cafe, and finish with roasted chestnuts from a street vendor.
How many days do you need in Lucca at Christmas?
One full day covers the markets, the walls, the tree, and the food, but two days are ideal: one for the city centre and one for a day trip to Pisa or the Villa Reale di Marlia. Add a third day for Florence, and book your hotel early, as December weekends fill fast.
More Christmas Inspiration
If Lucca has won you over, keep exploring Italy and Europe at Christmas with our other city guides.
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