It seems that every time I turn around, especially the last few weeks, places are closed due to Italian National holidays. Even on the military bases, stuff that is normally manned by the Italians are closed, and we usually only get the day before as notice. Does anybody have a master list, of sorts, of these types of holidays so I can be aware? We are in Sicily, by the way. Thanks!

Before I get any nasties,I have no issue with holidays, but 3 weeks ago our housing complex got flooded and trying to get stuff claimed, cleaned, and done with the Italians on base taking off what seemed like every 3 or 4 days, was a little stressing. The Italians that work on base get off those days, and some important places like housing and the furniture part of the exchange had no one there to help us. We were all set to order new furniture but no one was there to help us. This time year has lots of religious holidays, I am a Christian so I know this, but I did not realize that Epiphany and jan 7th were holidays as well. I knew about Dec 26 a couple of days beforehand.

I found a few sites with local events..
http://www.festedisicilia.it/
http://www.siciliano.it/province-eventi.cfm?provincia=ct&p=catania
http://www.babbidamotta.it/manifestazioni/index.html
http://www.catania-sicilia.it/motta_santa_anastasia.htm

... but I can't verify their accuracy or how often they are updated.

One site that is searchable for all of Italy, and also in English is http://www.hostetler.net/italy/italy.cfm.

HTH

quote:

Originally posted by Mississippi girl:
....It seems that every time I turn around, especially the last few weeks, places are closed due to Italian National holidays.

Sorry.... didn't mean to laugh! (well not TOO loud anyway...

Most Italian calendars show the holidays either in red, or on a separate list at the front or the back....Plenty of free calendars around every year at this time in shops and banks etc. But just be aware that the 'ponte' (bridging days) won't be listed. So look out for 'Feste' that fall on a Tuesday or a Thursday as that signals an excuse to take a 'ponte' on Monday or Friday thus creating a long weekend. And the Italians are real champions at this!
Carole B.

Yeah I have quickly realized that the Italians are very good at taking lots of time off(we moved here mid July right before the August holiday. Phew. I kind of like the idea of so many holidays, but, the timing for us just was not good this year!

Here you go.


1 January - Capodanno/New Year's Day
6 January - Epifania Festa della Befana/The Epiphany
variabile * - Pasqua/Easter
variabile ** - Lunedì dell'Angelo o Lunedì di Pasqua, Pasquetta/Easter Monday
25 April - Festa della Liberazione Il 25 aprile 1945 indica la fine della II guerra mondiale in italia/Liberation Day
1 May - Festa dei lavoratori/Labor Day
2 June - Festa della Repubblica Il 2 giugno 1946 si tenne il referendum per la scelta tra monarchia e repubblica
15 August - Assunzione della B.V. Maria Ferragosto
1 November - Ognissanti/All Saint's Day
8 December - Immacolata Concezione
25 December - Natale Nascita di Gesù/Christmas
26 December Santo Stefano Primo martire cristiano
* Pasqua: prima domenica successiva al primo plenilunio dopo l'equinozio di primavera

** Pasquetta: lunedì successivo alla Pasqua

Hm. Doesn't anybody think it's strange that the Immaculate Conception takes place only 17 days before the Birth? I've never really thought about it before as we don't celebrate it here in favor of Santa Lucia, but you gotta admit that it's odd!

Oh, and I never knew that Dec 26 is Santo Stefano's day - but we have that day as a "red day" too.

Oh, COME ON, Mississippi girl, don't you know that italians are lazy and never want to work???
We love to spend our time playing mandolin and singing while eating spaghetti but NEVER during siesta!!

AHAHAHAH

You just hit the worse (or better, depends on the point of view) time of the year re holidays. The 7th of Genuary is not official holiday, it just happen to be a "bridge" between a national holiday -Epiphany,and Sunday.

Enjoy it.

Hey I never said Italians are lazy- I think Americans are workaholics, I know I was when I was there!

Oh Dec 25 is celebrated as Jesus' birthday, but actually they only put it on that day because of winter solstice celebrations or something like that. Why the Immaculate Conception Day was put so close, I don't know-I'm not Catholic. And it actually took longer than 12 days for the 3 Kings to get to the manger to see baby Jesus-more like 3 months or so.

I want to learn as much as I can about Italy while we are here, so I may seem ignorant about lots of things, but I want to know about all of it! It's very very different from south Mississippi!

MG I was having fun, don't take me too seriously.

Most Catholic holidays are celebrated in old pagan holidays day, as Christmas/solstice day, or Epiphany or else, that was because when first trying to introduce the Christianism, the Emperor Constantine in 400aC started to substitute Pagan holidays and celebrations with Christians.
I bet if you dig enough the immaculate conception has the same origins-

Ciao

(digging)
I found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception

You know, sometimes I think I'm just too curious for my own good! I was brought up a protestant but am now very much an atheist with new age influences, but still I want to know everything about catholic holidays...

oh, I also found that we celebrate March 25 (9 months before Christmas) as the day of Mary's conception here!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Annika:
Hm. Doesn't anybody think it's strange that the Immaculate Conception takes place only 17 days before the Birth?

I think it is the Immaculate Conception of Mary that is being celebrated, not of her son. (I was brought up Lutheran, so what do I know?!)

I did find out that it is Mary's conception that is celebrated, not sure what the beliefs are but something about her being absolved from some sin. I was raised Protestant, United Methodist, so....

quote:

Originally posted by Diane:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Annika:
Hm. Doesn't anybody think it's strange that the Immaculate Conception takes place only 17 days before the Birth?

I think it is the Immaculate Conception of Mary that is being celebrated, not of her son. (I was brought up Lutheran, so what do I know?!)

Diane- what you know is correct.

I was raised Protestant too...my DH (RC) always said that "No one - but no one - could protest as his wife did" (and still does I might add)!



Oh and Allessandra - thank goodness YOU said:
..."Oh, COME ON, Mississippi girl, don't you know that italians are lazy and never want to work???
We love to spend our time playing mandolin and singing while eating spaghetti but NEVER during siesta!!"
AHAHAHAH

Being a Brit...I wouldn't have 'dared'

Carole B

Carole,
I own a master in clichees, I could say a million of them.
But I also like to breake them.

So, when are you coming off that mountain down here? So we can walk in cypressed roads on pleasant hills covered with sunflowers, while our men are harvesting olives/grapes/crops and we eat bruschetta with new olive oil -God forbid if it is not first, stone and low pressure pressed- and drinking alternatively red wine or vinsanto? We could kill time by beating our laundry on the stones of the nearby stream while singing stornelli!!

...how about that?...

Oh yes Allessandra....
You can 'count me in' on ALL of that!

But if the Monster GTG gets off the ground, we may ALL have the opportunity to meet up AND do most of the things you have suggested - only -'together' as a group of quasi nuts !!!

Carole B.

quote:

Originally posted by Carole B.:
we may ALL have the opportunity to meet up AND do most of the things you have suggested - only -'together' as a group of quasi nuts !!!

QUASI NUTS????

How dare you call me QUASI!!!!
I'm a total nut

quote:

Originally posted by Alessandra Federici:

QUASI NUTS????

How dare you call me QUASI!!!!
I'm a total nut

Sorry Alessandra... I wasn't sure if I knew you well enough to call you a 'TOTAL NUT'!!!

But if it IS OK - Then 'Total Nuts it is' - you and me both!

Thank you, you are soooo kind!

Carole B.

Every town has his patron saint day too... mine is june 1st

Yes, don't forget the feast days! For some reason last week (or was it the week before?) we celebrated the feast of St Anthony of Padua, complete with procession.

Yesterday we didn't even go into Marsciano, knowing that it was the feast day of St John who's the patron saint of the city.

these lasts few weeks the church bells seem to be working overtime....just ask our neighbors who just bought a house right next to the bell tower