Tradition: Italy

ITALY

Italy officially the Italian Republic is a country located in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved micro states San Marino and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2  and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe. Due to its central geographic location in Europe and Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of people and cultures. In addition to the various ancient people dispersed throughout modern day Italy.


THE BIRTHPLACE OF WESTERN CULTURE
Population
60'480'973 million of which  91.5% are Italian and  8.5% are other nationalities.
Tourist Attractions

•  The Leaning Tower Of Pisa

•  The Colosseum

•  Sienna Cathedral

•  Mt Vesuvius,                                                        

•  Vatican City

TRADITIONS

Italy has a lot to celebrate—so it’s not surprising that there are a lot of Italian national holidays! Each region, city and town has its own holidays (often having to do with local saints), but there are a number of national holidays, too.

If you’re planning to travel to Italy, knowing the calendar of holidays is important. Not only can you take advantage of special events that way, but sometimes, museums, stores and restaurants will close (especially on January 1, May 1 and December 25).

Here’s the calendar of the most important Italian national holidays… and how to celebrate them! 

NEW YEAR

January 1: After a long night of ringing in the new year, many Italians take January 1 off to relax, get out of town… and sleep in! Some sights will be open, but always double-check, since most state-run attractions (as well as stores and restaurants) will be closed.

January 6: The Epiphany, celebrated as a national holiday, marks the 12th and final day of Christmas. Especially in Rome, one particularly popular tradition is that of la befana, a witch on a broomstick who brings candy and coal to children in their stockings the night before. 

VALENTINES

February 14: Valentine’s Day, better known as the “Festival of Lovers” in Italy, is not just known for love; its roots date back to the Roman empire! But if you do have love on your mind, there are lots of romantic experiences to choose from in Italy, like a hot air balloon ride in Tuscany or a spending the night in a castle. 

THE CARNEVALE

 Italians prepare for Lent (the 40 days of abstinence before Easter) by indulging in lots of sweet treats and throwing a lively party. The most popular Italian destination for Carnival is undoubtably Venice for the lavish costumes and masks worn even a week before the celebration. Dates vary each year, depending on what date Easter falls on. 

WOMEN'S DAY

March 8: If you’re in Italy in early March, you may notice yellow mimosa flowers, well, everywhere! These flowers are given to women in honor of la Festa delle Donne (International Women’s Day), which also comes with other perks for women—like, often, free entrance into some national museums and attractions.

EASTER

The date of this widely-celebrated religious holiday varies sometime between March and April, based on the Gregorian calendar. Regardless of exactly when it falls, the week leading up to Easter Sunday attracts tourists from around the globe, especially to the Vatican, making it one of the most crowded (and potentially expensive) periods of the year for travel to Italy.

April 25: Italians remember the end of World War II with the Festa della Liberazione. Many extend the holiday to Labor Day on May 1, taking a vacation to enjoy the start of spring weather.

May 1: The first of May marks Labor Day, and one of the few holidays in Italy where almost all museums and shops in Italy are closed.

June 2: The Festa della Republica marks the birth and unification of the Italian Republic. If you can, head to Rome for this national holiday—that’s where you can enjoy the holiday’s huge, patriotic military parade. 

August 15: This marks the official beginning of ferragosto, when Italians close up shop and, traditionally, head to the beach or mountains. While traditionally the official start of summer, now many Italians also take vacation before or after the holiday. 

November 1: Halloween is not widely celebrated in Italy, but November 1st is a national holiday known as Ognissanti (All Saint’s Day) that celebrates the lives of saints.

December 8: This holy day and bank holiday commemorates the Immaculate Conception of Mary. (That’s not something that has anything to do with the birth of Christ, by the way; it’s just the day when the Church decided that, in fact, Mary was born without the stain of original sin). The Day of the Immaculate Conception is often considered the start of the Christmas season, when lights and nativity scenes go up and world-famous Christmas markets commence.

December 25: Christmas is a wonderful time to visit Italy, thanks in large part to the gorgeous decorations and festive atmosphere. Prepare for Christmas like a real Italian with a fish dinner on la Vigilia (Christmas Eve), followed by midnight mass! Christmas Day is celebrated with a large lunch with family and almost all museums, stores and restaurant are closed.

December 26: The day of Santo Stefano (Saint Stephen), the day after Christmas, is also a national holiday.

December 31: New Year’s Eve is one of the most important celebrations in Italy; you’ll find piazzas full of strangers celebrating together at midnight with fireworks lighting up the sky! Across the country, the coming of the new year brings some strange traditions, too, like throwing pots and pans out the window and eating cotechino (pork sausage) with lentils on New Year’s Day for good luck.

TRADITIONAL FOOD

#1-PIZZA -No explanation required

#2-ARANCINI-Arancini refers to a crispy and golden brown dish of stuffed rice balls. These rice balls are filled with ragù, tomato sauce, mozerella, and peas.

#3-LASAGNA-This Italian dish is made by baking sheets of lasagna pasta layered with cheese, ground meat, vegetables and different varieties of sauces such as the ragù bechamel or tomato sauce.

#4-TIRAMISU-Light and creamy, the tiramisu is a well known dessert sought-after by locals travellers alike. Ingredients such as ladyfingers, coffee, eggs, sugar, cocoa and mascerpone cheese are required to make this delicious dessert.

#5-GELATO-Smooth and sweet, no trip to Italy can be complete without a cone of cold soft serving.

Munkhbat, B., Buyanjagal, G., Nomin, M., Sumber