If you've been hanging out with Italians, chances are you might have felt confused hearing the sentence 'In bocca al lupo!' thrown with enthusiasm among the other things they say at the end of a gathering. Literally meaning 'in the mouth of the wolf!', this popular colloquialism is just another way of wishing good luck to someone who is about to step into something new that might present a challenge—be it an exam, the beginning of a new job or project, or an adventurous trip.
This famous quote synthetizes the whole period of Festivity Season, or Christmas Holidays – Feste di Natale e Nuovo Anno- for Italians. The holidays, which are public holidays for school students starting around from 23 December and ending on 8th January depending on the Italian region, include religious and lay festivities, like Christmas’ Eve (Vigilia di Natale) and Christmas (Natale) itself, Santo Stefano (Box Day), New Year’s Eve (San Silvestro, 31st December, or Vigilia di Capodanno), and New Year, or Capodanno (the Head/Start of the Year). A very happy period for Italian children, not going to school, and enjoying family, games, presents and food with their families!
Wine represents a very important but also an indispensable component in the Italian cultural and social tradition. Wine occupies a fortunate place in Italian gastronomy, no wonder, since long ago vines found here the ideal conditions and for this reason the Greeks called this territory “Enotria – Terra del Vino” (Enotria – Land of wine), a
sign that the vine and the production of wine were already well present in Italy since the times of Greek colonization.
In the heart of ancient Rome stands an architectural marvel that has withstood the test of time—the Colosseum. This iconic amphitheater embodies the grandeur and the brutality of a bygone era. Its history echoes with the cheers of spectators, the clashes of swords, and the valor of gladiators.
The names of the days of the week have ancient origins that stretch back through history. It all began with the Sumerians, who established the concept of time in months, based on the moon's full cycle around the Earth. The Babylonians took this concept and expanded it into weeks, with seven days each. But why seven days? The Babylonians noticed that seven days approximated the time between different moon phases and matched the number of visible planets in the sky known to humans at the time: the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the Sun.
As time flows on, we've always had the inclination to name its passing. We frequently use the names of months, but have you ever wondered about the meanings behind these names and the individuals who assigned them? Look no further than the Romans for the origins.
When one thinks of Italy, the initial mental images typically include pizza, pasta, a rich tapestry of art and culture, and, of course, the expressive manner in which Italians communicate. It's impossible to discuss the Italian language without acknowledging the intertwined culture of hand gestures that accompanies it.
Italian is a Romance language based on the fourteenth-century idiom used in the city of Florence. The official language spoken today in the Italian Republic and in the Canton of Ticino in Switzerland is based on the Florentine literary used by the great writers Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio.
Let's set the record straight from the beginning: the invention of pasta cannot be credited to the Chinese, and it did not find its way to Italians through Marco Polo. Instead, its origins can be traced back to Arab Sicily, from where it gradually spread throughout Italy, making notable stops in Naples and Genoa. This is the intriguing tale behind the dish that symbolizes Italian cuisine.
