Italy Important Customs andCultural Factors in Italy

National and Local FestivalsNinety percent of the population is

Roman Catholic. The other 2 percent

is mainly comprised of Jews, along with

some Muslims and Orthodox and

Eastern Rite Catholics. The general

supernatural beliefs are those of the

Catholic Church as mixed with some

older beliefs stretching back to antiquity.

In Sicily, for example, Arabic and Greek

influences have mixed with popular Spanish

beliefs and been incorporated into

Catholicism. The majority of religious

festivals are Roman Catholic, dedicated to

the Madonna or to different saints.

Epiphany Epiphany, January 6 is the end of

Italy's Christmas season and the day

when children traditionally get

presents or sweets from a witch called

“la Befana”.

In Vatican City, a procession of

hundreds of people in medieval

costumes walk to the Vatican,

carrying symbolic

gifts for the Pope who says a

morning mass in Saint Peter's

Basilica to commemorate the

visit of the Wise Men bearing

gifts for Jesus.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday, date varies from late March through April. Easter Sunday is celebrated with a mass, the biggest and most popular being the Easter mass said by the Pope in Saint Peter's.During Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, there are many processions and special events throughout Italy.

Easter MondayEaster Monday, the day after Easter Sunday. La Pasquetta, or the little Easter, is a national holiday that's celebrated on the day after Easter.

On this day Italians traditionally head to the countryside for a picnic.

Liberation Day

Liberation Day, April 25,

Festa della Liberazione commemorating the end of WWII in Italy, is a national holiday marked by ceremonies, historic re-enactments, and celebrations.

Republic DayRepublic Day, June 2,

commemorates the birth

of the Italian Republic.

In Rome there's usually a

big parade presided over

by Italy's president and

military bands play music

in the gardens of the Quirinale,

open to the public.

FerragostoAssumption Day or Ferragosto, August 15, is the traditional start of Italy's vacation period. Many Italians head to the beach for Ferragosto, so the coast (and coastal roads) are usually very crowded.

S. Agatha

Catania's most stirring religious feast is dedicated to the city's holy patron, the young martyr Agatha. From 3 to 5 February the city is transformed and becomes a theatre rich in decorations,

lights, votive fireworks, sounds and colours.

To celebrate the "homecoming" of

the Sant'Agatha's relics from

Costantinople on August 17th- 1126,

will be hold a High Mass and a

procession with the precious bust

of Saint'Agata, containing part of

holy body covered by numerous

jewels as "ex voto" donated by the

devout citizens.

Italian Family ValuesThe family remains of central

importance in the fabric of Italian

society and provides a stabilizing

influence for its members.

In the North, generally only the

nuclear family lives together.

While in the south, the extended family often resides together in one house and the young people tend to stay at home until they marry, a situation partly exacerbated by the lack of work and affordable housing.

Greetings in Italy

Upon introductions and departures,

shake hands with everyone individually

in a group. It is polite while doing this

to say "buon giorno" [in the morning]

and "buona sera" [in the late afternoon

and evening] and "arrivederci" upon

leaving (friends say ciao).

When meeting people for the first time it is appropriate to wait to be introduced. You will generally be introduced to the oldest person first followed by the women. When being introduced to someone in a formal situation, it’s common to say ‘pleased to meet you’ ( molto lieto).

When you know your Italian colleague well, it

would be considered friendly to return a

warm embrace.

Buongiorno becomes buonasera any time after the lunch break (around 1pm). Good night ( buonanotte) is used when going to bed or leaving a house in the evening.

Italian families and friends usually kiss when they meet, irrespective of their sex. If a lady expects you to kiss her, she offers her cheek.

Dress code in Italy

Italians are very fashion-conscious and are very

respectful of traditions and customs, which translate in

the way they dress.

Italians adopt the way they dress to the moment of the

day, the occasion and the place they are visiting.

Showing respect means that you dress up according to

the level of the place or people you are

visiting.

The same goes when you

are invited at a dinner at a friend’s home. Of course, it all depends on the type of dinner you are invited and the level of intimacy you have with your friend.

Boby LanguageItalians are emotionally demonstrative,

so you can see lots of cheek kissing

among acquaintances, embraces between

men who are good friends and lingering

handshakes. Italian men may walk

arm-in-arm, as may women.

Pushing and shoving in busy places is not

considered rude.

People everywhere seem to be mumbling to themselves while gesticulating wildly. They punctuates their conversation with hand gestures. Hand signals are a language onto themselves; for instance, in sports, referees, players, and managers all have their own non-verbal way of talking to each other, whether it's signaling a penalty in soccer, motioning to a teammate, or repositioning a player. There are even organizations such as the Center For Nonverbal Studies that apply scientific study to nonverbal communication, which includes body movements, gestures, and facial expressions.

Our region Sicily is the biggest island in the

Mediterranean and it’s also the

biggest region of Italy.

In Sicily there are a lot of interesting

archeological sites and monuments, of

the Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman,

Spanish and Bourbon periods.

These different civilizations have contributed to Sicily’s beauty and historic importance in the Mediterranean world. In fact, Sicily is an important tourist

destination, thanks to its historic cities and

villages, its beautiful coastline,

mountains, in particular

Mt. Etna, the highest volcano in

Europe (3343m.).

Typical Sicilian food and dishesWe are also known abroad for our agricoltural

products such as citrus fruits (oranges, lemons,

etc…),pistachio nuts, almonds, wines and cheeses.

Sicilian cooking is varied, popular and original. Our typical dishes are: “arancini”, made from bread-crumb covered rice balls and stuffing with ingredients, such as mozzarella cheese, meat, “ragù”(a type of tomato sauce), mushrooms, peas, or a combination of any of the above.

Another original dish is “pasta alla norma”,

named after the Sicilian composer

Vincenzo Bellini's famous opera “Norma” .

It was cooked for the first time in 19th

century, to honer him and his

masterpiece.

Sicilian pastry is also varied, colorful and famous, such as: “cannoli”.

( stuffing of ricotta or chocolate), “cassata”, almond sweets, etc…