Italian Family Life

Italians treasure their families. Most Italians have a network of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that they see on a regular basis. It's usual for members of an extended family to gather frequently, sometimes weekly, to enjoy meals together. Sons live at home until well into their 20's, daughters are extremely close to their mothers, and parents often live in their children's homes to care for their grandchildren. Time with family is highly valued and family members make spending time together a top priority. Relationships in Italy are often very honest, because most Italians generally aren't shy about sharing their opinions about things.

Italian Holiday Customs

Many Italians have deep roots in the Catholic Church, which influences much of Italy, especially Rome, and is a defining part of the nation's history and development. Religious holidays are widely observed in Italy, with accompanying feasts, festivals, and celebrations. The focal point in Italian homes during Christmas is the nativity scene, or creche, which is thought to denote the true meaning of Christmas. Another tradition for Italians during the holidays is lighting the Yule Log, which stays lit from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. Gifts are given on the Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6th. Children set out their shoes the night before the holiday in anticipation of La Befana, who is an old woman who travels throughout Italy on her broom leaving toys, fruit, and candy in children's shoes. If the children were bad, they would find their shoes filled with coal. http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~ngargano/corsi/100/wk11.natale.italy.htm

http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa120600f.htm

Italian Marriage Customs

In romantic relationships, Italians are generally very passionate, and public displays of affection are normal and acceptable. The divorce rate in Italy is significantly lower than in the U.S. More often in the past, but sometimes still today, weddings are arranged by the families of the bride and groom. An ancient wedding custom in Italy includes the groom carrying a piece of iron in his pocket to ward off the evil eye and prevent danger. Another one, which originated in Sicily, is the tradition of the bride and groom shattering a vase or glass into many pieces after their wedding ceremony. The number of pieces the glass breaks into is thought to represent the expected number of happy years the couple will have together.