Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Sicilian Way of Life
When asked to name their nationality, most locals will say 'Sicilian' rather than 'Itali-
an', reinforcing a generally held Italian belief that the Sicilian culture and character
are markedly different to those of the rest of the country. Though sharing many traits
with fellow residents of the Mezzogiorno (the part of southern Italy comprising Sicily,
Abruzzo, Basilica, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Molise and Sardinia), Sicilians have a
dialect and civil society that are as distinctive as they are fascinating.
SICILIAN PROVERBS
Sicilian culture is big on proverbs. Even as Sicilians embrace many aspects of modern life, their everyday speech is
laced with traditional sayings whose roots go back several centuries. Spoken in Sicilian (a language in its own right
and quite distinct from Italian), these proverbs often require translation even for other Italians. See the sidebars in
this chapter for a representative sampling, with loose translations into English.
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