Italian holiday customs

1. Religious beliefs

Catholicism is the largest religion in Italy, but the government has not officially designated Catholicism as the state religion. About 87.8% of Italians are Catholic, and 36.8% identify themselves as active believers.

The Italian Catholic Church is part of the global Roman Catholic Church (under the spiritual leadership of the Vatican Council of Pope and Italian Bishops). San Marino and Vatican, two sovereign states, are included in the dioceses of concern. The Italian Catholic Church has 225 dioceses. Although the Vatican does not belong to Italy, because it is located in Rome, Italian and Latin are the most commonly spoken and second languages of the Holy See.

Italy has a rich Catholic culture, especially since many Catholic saints, martyrs and popes are Italian. Roman Catholic art in Italy flourished, especially during the Middle Ages, the revival of literature and art, and the Baroque period. Many Italian artists emerged, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, Zian Benini, Botticelli, Titian and Giotto. Italian Roman Catholic buildings are equally rich and impressive, such as the Basilica of St. Peter, the Basilica of the Virgin of the Flowers and the Basilica of St. Mark.

2. Holidays Italian festivals are closely related to religion, so they can be divided into religious festivals and non-religious festivals. In addition to public festivals, there are many local festivals in various places.

1. Religious festivals

January 6, Epiphany, also known as Epiphany, was originally commemorated by the "Three Magi of the Orient who came to worship the Holy Child Jesus". Today it has become a children's festival. Carnival, also known as the Meat Thanking Festival, is held the day before Lent, usually between February and March.

Resurrection is a festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after his death. It takes place on the first Sunday after the full moon of the vernal equinox, usually between March and April. This is another important holiday after Christmas. It is usually a week off. People are accustomed to using this holiday to travel.

August 15, August Day, is a festival inherited from ancient Roman times, celebrating the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. At present, national civil servants and employees of various units are required to take leave in August, which is generally divided into two batches. The first batch is from the end of July to August 15, and the second batch is from August 15 to the end of August. During this period, the office will not be open, schools will be on holiday, and shops will also be closed in turn. People usually go to other places for vacations, some go to the seaside, some go to the mountains, and some go abroad.

On Halloween on November 2, when going to pay homage to the dead and sweep tombs, some yellow or white chrysanthemums are usually offered. Therefore, chrysanthemums are considered to be funeral flowers in Italy and cannot be given to living people.

December 8 is the Conception Day of the Virgin, World Customs Network, commemorating the pure pregnancy of the Virgin. There is a story about the birth of Jesus. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary.

Christmas, December 25, is the most solemn festival in Italy. Generally, the holiday lasts until after New Year's Day, or until Epiphany Day, with a total of one to two weeks of vacation.

(2) Non-religious holidays

January 1, New Year's Day, also known as New Year, marks the beginning of the year. The celebration method is similar to that in China. On New Year's Eve, the New Year's Eve must be observed. After the New Year's bell rings, champagne must be opened to congratulate the New Year. Some people also set off firecrackers.

February 14 is Valentine's Day, a folk custom festival.

March 8 was Women's Day. On March 8, 1903, female workers in Chicago, the United States, held a general break and demonstrations in order to oppose bourgeois oppression, exploitation and discrimination and strive for freedom and equality.

April 25 is Italian Liberation Day.

May 1st is Labor Day.

Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May every year). On this day, mothers will receive beautiful cards from their children, and some families will hold celebrations.

June 2 is National Day. On June 2, 1946, Italy held a referendum to determine the national system. As a result, most people supported the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. Therefore, this day was the National Day of the Italian Republic.

3. Etiquette and customs

1. Dress etiquette. Italians generally wear Western-style clothing in formal social occasions, especially when participating in some major events, pay close attention to dressing neatly and like to wear three-piece suits. At weddings, the bride likes to wear yellow wedding clothes. In some festivals, large-scale makeup parades are often held, with children to the elderly wearing a variety of exotic costumes.

2. Manners and etiquette. Italians like to speak closer together. The distance between the two sides is usually 30-40 centimeters, sometimes almost together. They don't like people staring at them during conversation and think such stares are impolite.

3. Meet etiquette. Italian names come first and last. In addition, there is also a religious name, which is the name given by the priest at baptism. After marriage, most women take the surname of their husbands, and some people use the surname of both men and women. Italians often shake hands when meeting guests on social occasions. Relatives and friends will hug warmly when they meet again later. Usually, when acquaintances meet on the road, they wave.

4. Dining etiquette. Italians pay attention to color, aroma and flavor when making dishes, and their flavors can be compared with French cuisine. They appreciate China food very much. Both men and women drink alcohol. The varieties they often drink include beer, brandy, etc., and they especially like to drink wine. Italians invite guests to dinner, usually in restaurants, and sometimes at home for relatives and friends. When they treat guests, they often have less tea and more wine. At formal banquets, there is a different wine for each dish.

5. Wedding etiquette. Italians are Catholic, so most weddings are performed by clergy and take place in churches. However, ancient courtship customs are still preserved in some areas. For example, if young men in Sicily like a girl, they often invite several close friends to the window of the girl's house in the morning or at night to play guitar and sing love songs.

6. Travel etiquette. The best seasons to travel to Italy are from February to May and September to November every year. While traveling in Italy, you should pay attention when shopping at retail stores. Their business principle is that buyers and sellers are on an equal footing. Italians love children. If you go to a restaurant and see some children running around naughty, don't be angry, otherwise the locals will be very disgusted with your behavior.

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