Italian language, italy, independent study of the Italian language. National holidays in Italy Autumn holidays in Italy

The main cultural events of Italy in 2018 - a detailed overview for tourists.

Today is a big holiday in Italy. Offices, schools and many shops are closed, the most delicious dishes are served on the table, and the Blessed Virgin Mary is sung in churches. And in this hustle and bustle, I thought: what other national holidays of Italy exist, about which we, Russians, neither sleep nor spirit? For example, on May 1, Italians, like us, take a break from work, on April 1 they make fun of each other, and on January 1 they celebrate the start of the new year. What happens on the rest of the days? Today's my article is devoted to Italian celebrations, which are not in Russia.

The Italian culture and traditions of the country are closely connected with the Catholic religion. Therefore, many holidays, which you will read about below, are religious. Let's start with the holiday that is celebrated in Italy today - Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary(Immacolata concezione). It kicks off a string of Christmas preparations and festivities. According to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, she was born by ordinary parents, but from infancy she was freed from original sin. By the way, the Orthodox Church does not approve of this dogma, so we do not have such a holiday.

On this day, December 8, solemn masses are held, and residents begin to really prepare for Christmas: they decorate the Christmas tree and decorate the house with decorations.

Actually, Christmas(Natalie). In the list of Italian holidays, it takes an honorable first place. Unlike our children, children from Sardinia, Milan and Venice write letters not to Santa Claus, but to Babbo Natale, and they receive gifts a little earlier than the New Year - on Christmas, December 25th. In the evening, the whole family gathers at the table, and at night, religious Italians go to churches to listen to mass. On the street at this time you will not meet a soul.

The day following Christmas, December 26, is called St Stephen's Day(Santo Stefano) and his cunning Italians figured out what to prolong the pleasure of the holiday, to get a good night's sleep or visit someone else from their relatives.

Closes the Christmas season Epiphany(Epifania), celebrated on January 6th. In religion, this is the day when the Magi first saw the newborn Jesus Christ and presented him with numerous gifts. That is the Epiphany. And for modern children, this is another Italian holiday when you can receive gifts. At night, the kids take out socks and stockings from the closet, and the good witch Befana (somewhat reminiscent of our Baba Yaga) puts sweets there.

The most colorful and pompous holiday can be called Carnival(Carnevale), when adults and children dress up in costumes, throw colorful confetti at passers-by and applaud huge cars (often in the form of famous characters or animals) that participants in the carnival procession make with their own hands - f antaveicoli (fabulous vehicles). Carnival in Italy is celebrated for a whole month - from late January to March. On a special scale, it takes place in Venice, but other cities are trying to keep up.

When we are just getting ready for the upcoming May holidays, the Italians are already celebrating the victory over fascism. IN Liberation Day(Festa della Liberazione), April 25, local residents honor the memory of all those who fell victim to the most terrible and bloody war of the 20th century.

The celebration of Easter in Italy is a little different from how it is in Russia. It comes a little earlier than Orthodox Easter, and as a treat, instead of chicken eggs, chocolate eggs are here. But I wanted to tell you about another holiday that immediately follows Easter - "Pascuette" or Easter Monday(Pasquetta). On this day, it is customary for the whole family to go out of town for a picnic. If the weather permits, of course.

If you are interested in the history of Italy, then you probably know that the form of government in this country for a long time was a monarchy. However, the events of the Second World War, when the actual power was transferred to the fascists led by Mussolini during the living king, changed the view of the inhabitants on the royal dynasties. June 2, 1946 Italy finally became a republic, and this date was named Day of the Proclamation of the Republic(Festa della Repubblica).

One of the most beloved Italian holidays Ferragosto(Ferragosto), which occurs on August 15th. And although its roots go back to Ancient Rome (then the end of the harvest was celebrated on this day), today few people remember what kind of holiday it was. And they love it because it marks the beginning of the holiday season. In August, Italy "falls into hibernation": shops and cafes are closed, the roads with the heaviest traffic are now empty, and city residents are moving closer to the sea.

I've talked a little about All Saints Day(Ognissanti or Tutti i santi), which is celebrated on November 1st. I will only add that this is the most important holiday for the Catholic Church. On this day, the Italians do not work, because. must attend Mass. But, despite the significance of the holiday, the celebrations, rituals and traditions associated with it rarely go beyond the church. For non-religious people, it's just another day off.

Italians like no one else loves holidays and various carnivals. As the inhabitants of this country themselves believe, every day a holiday is celebrated in some town or settlement. As in any country, the national holidays of Italy are divided into civil and religious. But any event is very colorful, with processions and fun. Not a single Italian will be able to answer how many significant dates they have in total, since their number is very large.

What are holidays in Italy about?

Italy is a country famous for its culinary traditions, as well as the fact that the Vatican, the center of Catholic life throughout Europe, is located on its territory. Therefore, the Italians have a lot of different festivals dedicated to products, when the locals demonstrate their culinary skills, as well as celebrations in honor of the saints.

Public holidays and carnivals

Venice Carnival. Italy is inseparable from the carnival, which takes place annually in Venice and gathers more than 500 thousand people. The origins of this tradition go back to the Middle Ages. A costume party is organized every year in February. The carnival is known for its masks, which the participants of the festival make with their own hands. The more beautiful the decoration, the more chances to take part in the mask competition. Immediately after the carnival, the pre-Easter fast begins.

New Year. Italians love to celebrate the beginning of the new year in the open air. They drink wine on the street straight from the bottle, and break empty containers for good luck. The first of January is a public holiday in Italy, and if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is moved to Monday.

sweet day. Saint Valentine, the protector of all lovers, is revered in all countries of the European continent. February 14 is a "sweet day" in Italy. Here they give sweet kisses, sweets, plush toys.

March 8. March 8 is not a public holiday in Italy. On this day, rallies and demonstrations are held in many cities. But Italians don't like to celebrate this day. They are outraged that attention to women is given only once a year, when it should be daily.

father's day. Saint Giuseppe, according to the beliefs of the Italians, was the father of Christ and always defended the poor and girls. Therefore, on March 19, it is customary to invite the poor to dinner and feed him. This is one of the most revered holidays. Children give gifts to their fathers and thank them for what they have. But still, Mother's Day, which is held on May 12, is more revered by Italians.

Public holidays

Founding of Rome. For residents of the city and tourists on April 21, the gates of the eternal city open and let them in on a colorful holiday. On this day, it was started to hold a beauty contest among girls, those territories that were once part of the Roman Empire.

Day of liberation from fascism. The national holiday of Italy, which is celebrated on April 25, is marked by the fact that Mussolini left Milan and the people began to fight for democratic freedoms.

labor holiday. Every year on May 1, demonstrations are held in all cities of Italy in honor of the Labor Day. But the holiday is more famous for the fact that on the first day of May, men in love put a branch of a tree or shrub under the threshold of their beloved, as a symbol of the fact that they want to offer her a hand and heart. Also on May 1, a kind of youth day is held. Music concerts are organized. It has become a tradition to plant a tree on this day, but some simply set up a pole, decorate it with garlands and hold festivities around it.

Republic Day. Monarchies in Italy were ended on June 2, when a republican system was proclaimed as a result of a general election. On this day, parades with obligatory air shows are held in major cities of the country.

Religious holidays

Easter. The most revered holiday for all Catholics is Easter. For him there is no set day, like all Christians. The date changes every year. Eggs are considered the best gift, especially chocolate ones with a surprise. On Easter, they eat a variety of egg dishes.

Saint Lawrence Day. During the reign of Valerian, Saint Lawrence was subjected to persecution and persecution as an adherent of the faith of Christ. Valerian forbade disrespect for paganism. Since then, on the night of August 10-11, Italians have been waiting for the first star to fall in order to have time to make a wish that will surely come true within a year.

Saint Bartholomew's Day. A very fun holiday, flowing with festivities, tug-of-war competitions, and other sports. Performances are held on the squares of cities, dishes are prepared according to recipes from different provinces. The holiday ends with a traditional brass band concert.

All Saints' Day. On the first day of November, patron saints are venerated in Italy. Italians visit cemeteries and commemorate dead relatives. And if November 1 falls on the first Sunday of the month, then it is also a holiday of National Unity.
Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holiday is celebrated differently in every city. But everyone honors the Madonna on this day, they bring flowers to her statues. On the main squares on December 8, Christmas markets unfold.

Christmas. Italians love December 25 as a day when you can start a new life and get rid of everything old that was in life. They literally throw away everything: dishes, things and even furniture. At Christmas, Italians give each other small gifts, mostly sweets and small toys.

Saint Stephen's Day. One of the oldest carnivals in Italy begins on December 26 in Putignano, lasts several days and ends with Shrove Tuesday. Farinella is the hero of the carnival. He is dressed in colorful clothes and a hat with bells. The celebration continues until late at night. At midnight, before fasting, a bell begins to ring, which beats 365 beats. After the last blow, all festivities cease. Post starts. Ashes are sprayed over the heads of the gathered people as a sign that the time of expanse is over, the time of restriction has come.

Baptism. One of the brightest and favorite holidays, especially among children. Indeed, on this day, the sorceress Befana carries sweets home. And the story began with the fact that the Magi, going to Jesus with gifts, invited the good sorceress Befana to go with them, but she refused. And when I thought of it, it was too late - the Magi had gone far away. Since then, Befana has been delivering gifts home on the night of January 6th. She flies on a broomstick, enters houses through a chimney and arranges gifts in socks, which are hung up by residents who are already waiting for her. And for children who behave badly, Befana brings only colored sugar coals.
This day is considered the end of the New Year festivities. Fairs are held on January 6th, where sweet Befana figurines are always sold.

Abbot Saint Antonio's Day. In the central and southern parts of Italy, January 17 is a day dedicated to Saint Antonio, the first priest who went into ascetics and spent his life in the desert.

Saint Inessa's Day. On the day of January 21, a solemn event takes place in the church of St. Agnes: two sheep are sheared, which were grown especially for this day, and a cloak is woven from their wool. Then, as a gift, the cloak is presented to the Pope.

Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the current status of the language, it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in several counties in Croatia and Slovenia, where there is a large Italian-speaking population, Italian is also spoken by a part of the inhabitants on the island of Malta.

Italian dialects - can we understand each other?

How it all began, origins

Birthday - first mentioned

Online translator

Italian self-instruction manual

Italian via Skype

Italian phrasebook