They say when in Rome, do as Romans do. However, travellers know quite well that there are also some behaviors they should avoid if they don’t want to be labeled as tourists. So, for those of you visiting Italy, I’ve decided to write a brief not-to-do list: 1. Don’t use ciao to greet someone you …
Italian culture
Eight common stereotypes about Italians
Every country has some stereotypes about other countries and their citizens. And it’s said that each stereotype contains at least a grain of truth. So, in today’s article I want to focus on eight of the most common stereotypes about Italians, and give you my opinion about them. 1. ITALIANS GESTURE A LOT That’s true. …
How to get rid of bad luck – Italian practices
One day, you wake up late: your alarm clock didn’t go off. Damn it! You have an exam today! You rush to get your car but you stumble and fall. When you finally get to school, you fail your exam. And, on the way back to your car, a bird decides to poop right on …
How to deal with the days of the blackbird: coconut biscuits
The days of the blackbird – i giorni della merla – is an Italian expression meaning the coldest days of winter – specifically the 29th, 30th, 31st of January. No one knows exactly the origins of this expression, but there are some folk legends about it. The most famous one is about a female blackbird …
How to deal with the days of the blackbird: coconut biscuitsRead More
Twelve things you should know before visiting Italy (Part 3)
This is the third and last part of the article Twelve things you should know before visiting Italy. If you haven’t read the first two articles yet, you can do it now -> part 1, part 2. DON’T TOUCH THE VEGETABLES, EVER! If you want to grocery shop in Italy, be aware that there is …
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