Ferragosto / Assumption Day
15 August 2026 — Ferragosto! Umbrella up, watermelon sliced. Enjoy the break!
Ferragosto is celebrated on 15 August and is one of Italy's best-loved holidays, right in the heart of summer. Its name comes from the Latin Feriae Augusti (Augustus's rest days), introduced by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC as a break after the harvest and the hard work in the fields. The Romans held feasts and horse races, and farm animals were decorated with flowers. Originally the Roman festivities fell at the start of August; later the celebration became tied to 15 August, coinciding with the Assumption of Mary, which the Catholic Church marks on that day. Today Italians spend the day at the beach, in the mountains or on a picnic with family and friends. Many towns hold processions, music and fireworks, while most shops and businesses close. The holiday follows the season: mid-August is among the hottest times of the year, and the nights around it are often full of shooting stars, as the Perseid meteor shower (an annual August display of meteors) peaks shortly before this date.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver figure made of light dots and thin lines like a constellation: a beach umbrella and a round watermelon slice floating together across the night sky like a summer balloon, leaving a faint trail of stars
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