I am thinking about holidays in Italy.....I found the thread that listed the national holiday (although I have no idea what they are in observance of lol).

But for something like Christmas do Italians celebrate differently? What about Halloween, Easter etc....any major differences you've noticed about celebrating holidays in Italy? Any holidays missing that the US has?

Italians celebrate Christmas, New Years, and Easter. Halloween seems to be catching on more around here the last few years. They don't do 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day etc. At Caserma Ederle folks will celebrate all the US holidays though.

Italians celebrate Christmas totally differently from Americans. The emphasis is on the birth of Christ, so Santa, reindeer, the big tree, etc are not anything like in the States. What you get are Presepi (Creches) and Befana (a good witch arriving with gifts to coincide with arrival of the Magi, on the 6th of January) and St Nicolas on December 6 with his chocolates wrapped in gold foil to represent his gifts to the poor [this is more prevalent in northern European countries than Italy].

As for Easter, the saying goes: Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi (Christmas with the family, Easter with whom you want). Wonderful local celebrations--the explosion of the cart in Florence among many, many others.

Halloween is a commercial undertaking, but Italians tend to be more respectful of the next day: tuttisanti, followed by i morti, when they all go to the cemetery to put flowers on graves.

15 August, ferragosto, is a huge festa--the Assumption of the Virgin Mary--and it marks the center of the Italian summer season. Everything is shut and you just have to go with the flow here: make sure you have enough of any medication to get you through to September.

Italy has a host of national celebrations as well, on top of local festicciole depending on the specific area. Best get a calendar so you won't find yourself caught unawares and with no provisions to see you through.

That said: I personally find all these occasions exceptional and unique. I love the little processions and fireworks and barbeques and dancing. Join the fun!

They also celebrate San Valentino.

Then there are many feasts, like festa dei limoni, (lemons) or wines, or bread, depending on different regions of Italy. yes ?

I am thinking I want to leave my Christmas decor back here at home.

Mostly because I don't think I'll have the storage space to keep it year round and also Jason and I want to try to adopt the Italian culture as much as possible, and I didn't think Italian's decorated for Christmas like we Americans do.

We'll be arriving in July so it's good to know about the August celebration lol, thanks for the heads up.

I'm really looking forward to participating in Italian celebrations.

I don't know in Venice they do the lights around the windows and anyone who had any decoration had santa climbing up the ladder...they do sell trees here also we just decorated ours with ornaments we made and had meaning to our living here...

Same here. When I first arrived in 94, there were very few lights/decorations. It has increased each year till now it isn't much different from the lights/plastic santas you see in the States.

Strangely, the one thing that was virtually impossible to find in this corner of Abruzzo last December was Christmas cards. Was told they're simply not sent that much.

But most towns/villages nearby had street decorations. And many houses put up outdoor lights. In fact, some still have them !

quote:

Originally posted by DeeBee:
Strangely, the one thing that was virtually impossible to find in this corner of Abruzzo last December was Christmas cards. Was told they're simply not sent that much.

But most towns/villages nearby had street decorations. And many houses put up outdoor lights. In fact, some still have them !

You're right. Christmas cards are not used much, if at all here.

When I was here in the 60' and 70's they weren't used and christmas trees were just catching on. Then over the years on visits at Christmas, and now I'm retired here the story is the same. I must admit I heaved a sigh of relief as no offence is taken if someone doesn't get a card from you. All my old friends/family have now accepted that I CAN'T find cards here and in consequence I have save a ton of money on cards and postage every year. Yeah - OK - so I'm a skinflint...but a pension only goes so far!

But joking apart - elsewhere the card thing has got totally out of hand and I'm more than happy to be off that particular roundabout!

Maybe is Hallmark that took Americans to send a card for every occasion!
Here we don't use cards anymore.
Only my school-educated grandma insisted on writing cards for x-mas, easter and any other recurrence (birthdays, graduations, marriages, ...)

That was because:
- she had rough times short on money, and cards were a cheaper way to wish something rather than using the phone for long distance calls
- she was literate enough to feel comfortable to write a card without looking ignorant
- she had a lot of friends and family scattered all over Italy she wanted to keep in contact with.

That said, since Poste Italiane seems to lost everything except their bad name, we prefer to avoid shipping stuff - even if it is just a letter.

On the other hands, when I put my first foot in a Hallmark I was shocked: who is sending all those cards anymore?!

For decorations, everyone decorates as his/her family feels. I like a lot christmas decorations and I think they really turn the athmosphere on, but are also a huge pain if you have to put them on all on your own. I saw really nice decorated house for last x-mas in the Bronx, but there were almost none in ny city (I think because the major part of the people living downtown are not catholic). So, do whatever you want and everything will be fine!

quote:

Originally posted by Pola:

(I think because the major part of the people living downtown are not catholic).

umm, Catholics aren't the only ones to celebrate Christmas...

quote:

Originally posted by HelenB:

quote:

Originally posted by Pola:

(I think because the major part of the people living downtown are not catholic).

umm, Catholics aren't the only ones to celebrate Christmas...

Yeah, I know. Now can I have the religion lesson for today? Because I didn't wanted to spend 30 mins researching on google on what religions do celebrate christmas the way we do in Italy adn I just put the only one I was 100% sure of.
Please share.
Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by HelenB:
umm, Catholics aren't the only ones to celebrate Christmas...

Let us spell it differently: «I think because the major part of the people living downtown are not christian». I am a non christian and I don't celebrate Christmas.

Wow thanks for all the info.

I will want to decorate for Christmas at least a little, but I mean I have Christmas china towels, and all kinds of other stuff and I don't think I want to bring that with me, I think I'll bring lights and special ornaments, and if they are available go for real trees while we are there since storage will be so limited.

I saw really nice decorated house for last x-mas in the Bronx, but there were almost none in ny city (I think because the major part of the people living downtown are not catholic).

there are hardly any decorations downtown New York because most of the living are apartments and hi rises and very difficult to decorate as the brownstones in the bronx...not because of religion....

quote:

Originally posted by jlsmiles22:
Wow thanks for all the info.

I will want to decorate for Christmas at least a little, but I mean I have Christmas china towels, and all kinds of other stuff and I don't think I want to bring that with me, I think I'll bring lights and special ornaments, and if they are available go for real trees while we are there since storage will be so limited.

Christmas trees are big here. There's a tree farm in our town.

I had a feeling that real trees wouldn't be too hard to get. I just think it'll work out much better that way.

And you aren't all that far from Vicenza are you?

My wife and I spent our first Christmas and New Year's here in 2007 and were pleasantly surprise about the following in Tuscany:

• Hearing the number of Christmas carols and songs in English in small, medium and large towns/cities while walking around and in the various stores/shops, e.g., Here comes Santa Claus, White Christmas, Jingle Bells and many, many more
• While there were some Christmas lights seen at private homes and on apartment balconies, there were a lot fewer lights than we had seen in the States -- no mega or garish displays of lights and ornaments.
• Depending on where you lived in Tuscany, the various towns and cities did not put out any municipal displays of Christmas lights until the first or second Saturday in December and were promptly taken down or turned off after the Epiphany in January
• Finally, we stayed out of the commercial centers, malls and/or major shopping areas including food stores on the weekends leading up to Christmas. The parking lots were jammed full of cars and the jockeying and fighting one another for a parking space was no better than in the States.

One last comment, Italian Christmas/holiday cards are very expensive here. The few that we saw were between €1 and €3 a piece plus postage. We sent our first Christmas/holiday letter last year either via email or the Italian post.

That's it for now. Ciao, Ben

quote:

Originally posted by jlsmiles22:
And you aren't all that far from Vicenza are you?

We're about 2 hours away via autostrada (most of the time is spent on a few miles on the tangenziale around Venezia). When we arrived in 1994 we used to drive to Vicenza soemtimes for medical appointments, or to shop at their larger exchange. Now Aviano has a new hospital and exchange we don't go there much anymore.

Our home is in Sicily,the street lights are not as abundant as the UK or US but lovely.
We are in a small town and you can see more and more US and UK themed influences sneaking in ,decor,songs,santa in his logcabin in the town square etc

The homes tend to be more heavily decorated than outside,though every house seems to put up santa on a ladder outside!

I find that the decor is also more concentrated on kitchenware,like tea towels,tablecloths,napkin holders etc
Which is natural really considering the kitchen is the heart of the home here!

i think the best holidays are the regional ones where each region has a different saint. last time i was in Italy with my brother and we had great fun travelling to different regions when they celebrated there unique holidays.

I had to giggle at the Christmas card observations....when I have sent my Italian neighbors and friends Christmas cards from the US (we always spend Christmas in the US - or have thus far), I have gotten thank you cards for MY cards that I've sent...then...always makes me wonder if then I'm suppossed to send a thank you card for the thank you card, etc., etc. ;-)!