Gennaio
gennaio
1st
People get up late, because they
went to bed late the night before to
celebrate the last day of the year.
They have a big dinner, a variety
of courses, which are different
according to the regional tradition.
On this day people usually stay at
home with the family.
6th
This festivity is much loved by
children, they wait for this old lady
to come during the night.
Before going to bed they put or
hang their stockings somewhere in
the house.
The “Befana” will fill them with
gifts and sweets. In case of naughty
children she will bring coal.
Febbraio
febbraio
14th
On this day partners and
lovers spend more time
together and exchange
presents and cards.Lots of
sweets and chocolate
‘baci’are eaten.
It starts soon after the 6th of January. The
day of the biggest celebrations is “Shrove
Tuesday”, just before the Ash Wednesday.
There are cities, such as Venezia, Milano,
Viareggio and many others where there are
parades of floats and people dressed up
with fancy costumes. Carnival is much fun
for adults and children.
We eat special cakes, with different names
according to the region:
”frappe, galani, crostoli”.
Marzo
m a r zo
8th
♀
♀ ♀
♀
On this day many young,
and not so young, women
take part in demonstrations and
get together usually in the
evening to have dinner at the
restaurant or at a pizzeria.
It is a day of memory and
fun. Women are given a special
yellow flower, mimosa.
19th
It is Saint Joseph’s feast
and children have parties
for their father and give
him presents and cakes.
Aprile
aprile
Students have a holiday week. Some
people celebrate this festivity at home
with the family.
Proverb: Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua
con chi vuoi! For Christmas stay
with your family, for Easter stay with
the people you want!
We eat the Easter “colomba” and
chocolate eggs.
In Rome many people have a very
big traditional breakfast: salami, ham,
special cake with cheese, boiled eggs.
On Easter Monday many people go
out of their town to have a short trip in
the country, on the bank of a river or by
a lake to have picnics.
25th
It is a public holiday. We
celebrate the day, 25th April
1945, in which during the
second world war Italy was
freed from Mussolini’s
dictatorship, with the help of
the “Resistance”, put up by the
partisans, who fought against
fascism.
This festivity was called
”Festa della Liberazione”,
Liberation Day, which has
recently changed into”Festa
della Libertà”, Freedom Day.
Maggio
maggi o
1st
People do not work, students do not go
to school, all shops, banks and offices are
closed. It is a day of rest and peace for
everybody. Many people go to the country,
to a river bank or by a lake to have
picnics.
There is the tradition to eat something
different or special: in Rome many people
have raw broad beans with ‘pecorino’
(sheep’s milk cheese) and drink wine.
It takes place the second
Sunday of May.
Children visit their mother,
stay longer with her, give
present and flowers.
There is much love on this
day.
Giugno
giugno
Half
Middle of
June
For many students school
finishes, for other students
exams start ……..
The 2nd
On the 2nd of June 1946 the
Italians were called to choose
between Monarchy and Republic
with a Referendum. 54% of the
electors voted for the Republic
and 46% for the Monarchy.
On the second of June we still
celebrate the birth of the Italian
Republic.
It is a public holiday and there
are colourful parades of the
Armed Forces.
Luglio
luglio
Agosto
agosto
15th
It is a religious celebration, the Virgin’s
Assumption, but for many people it is the
biggest summer festivity. People are usually on
holiday, they get together with relatives and
friends to have a very big dinner, if they are at
the seaside dinner is on the beach.
There is also the tradition to go to the beach
in the evening, light fires, have a midnight
swim and a lot of fun all night long and sleep in
the open air. There are also fireworks.
Settembre
settembre
In Italy school starts a few
days before or after midseptember, this depends on the
region.
Ottobre
ottobre
31st
…… There are no particular
celebrations or events in this
month. For a few years some
people have started to celebrate
Halloween on the 31st October,
but this festivity does not belong
to the Italian culture. Lots of
cakes are sold and young people
have parties wearing fancy
dresses.
Novembre
novembre
1st and
2nd
It’s a time of prayer, religious
devotion, visits to cemeteries.
People take flowers, mostly
crysanthemums to their dear
ones’ tombs and pray for their
peace.
In some places there is also
fun, stalls in the streets and gifts
and cakes for children.
Dicembre
dicembre
8th
It is a holy day, in which
people go to church and pray
the Virgin.
Schools, offices and banks
are closed, but many shops
are open because Christmas
rush is getting near.
The students have a long
break from school usually
from the 22nd to the 7th of
January.
In this time there are
celebrations like in many
other countries of Europe and
of the world.
24th
Many people go the midnight
service after a special dinner with
fish. After midnight Christmas
presents are given and opened.
25th
People go to church for
Christmas service. Families get
together for the whole day; there is
a very big and delicious lunch
which is regionally different.
Almost each family eat
“Panettone, pandoro and torrone”.
26th
• It is a religious feast.
31st
For many people this is the
most loved day of the year, a day
of joy and amusement.
To celebrate the end of the
year there are big dinners with
special courses, dancing, music,
a lot happiness, “panettone” and
champagne.
Some people spend a few days
in the mountains to ski.