Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Bite of Italian Culture
Cultural Identity
What is strange to say is that in the course of time Italy hasn't found a cultural unit. It is still
divided into three main areas: the North, the Centre and the South, that are very different
from each other. Obviously it is just a matter of stereotypes, but if we would summarize the
North with a few words we could think of: business, fog, prosperity, parties, fashion, snob;
while the South is more related to the following terms: family, traditions, poverty, sun, food
and unfortunately organized crime. There is even a derogatory term used by Northern Itali-
ans to describe Southern Italians: TERRONE, from the word TERRA “earth”, meaning that
the Southern Italians are illiterate and ignorant and can only work the land.
In this picture you can roughly see the border of the three areas in which “the Boot” is di-
vided.
Maybe one of the few moments in which a Southern and a Northern Italian feel they are liv-
ing in the same nation is when the world football championship is on!
Popular traditions and practices
Except forthePatronSaint'sDay,whichisdifferentinanycity,andiscelebrated withdiffer-
ent practices - among which a procession along the streets of the city centre or close to the
church dedicated to the Saint, with the statue or a relic of the Saint him- / herself - almost
all festivities are celebrated in the same way all over Italy. Let's start from January!
→ Capodanno [kapo'dan:o]
The years begin with a festivity in Italy! “Il primo dell'anno”, literally “the first of the year”
people get up late and just relax or visit their family and friends. In fact, many people cel-
ebrate New Year's Eve till late at night, going to parties, or to friend's homes, or having a
ski holiday, and it is the occasion to drink lots of sparkling wine and champagne and to wish
each other all the best for the coming year. In each city there are public fireworks organized
by the Municipality, and also many individual people like shooting them with friends.
