A happy event
The arrival of a newborn child is accompanied by various traditions. To announce the birth to the neighbourhood, the fascio nascita, a blue rosette if it is a boy, pink if it is a girl, is hung on the door of the house. If today the parents choose the child's name, in the past this choice was made by the godfather and godmother. The first son of the family was given the name of the paternal grandfather, a practice that is still widespread in Italy today. Baptism is still widely practised in Catholic families, even among those who declare themselves non-practising.
The family, the core of Italian society
In Italy, family ties are still very strong, and the pivot of this social unit is the mamma, the Italian mother. The term "mammism" is used to describe her closeness to her children. Italians cannot cut the umbilical cord. So we see "big boys" (called mammoni) staying with their mamma for 30 years or more, or getting married but living a few minutes away from the family home!
Marriage, a major event in the life of the community
In the South, weddings are a joyful, colourful, even glittering ceremony, accompanied by music and endless lunches. It is accompanied by many traditions that may be specific to the region, common to Italy or associated with the Mediterranean world. Some of these have fallen into disuse, such as the display of the bridal bed sheet the day after the wedding night to prove the virginity of the bride... Others, on the other hand, are still very much alive in the South: this is the case of the constitution of the trousseau of young girls, which derives from the practice of the dowry that should allow the prospective bride to find a good match. Mothers and grandmothers gradually put together the daughters' trousseau, made up of household linen and crockery, in preparation for the big day
In Puglia, on the morning of the wedding, all the guests go to the house of the bride's parents and, while she is getting ready, they enjoy a rich buffet. Then the bride appears, accompanied by her father, and cuts a white ribbon, a gesture that symbolizes her departure from the family fold.
In Calabria, the promise of marriage is still a common practice. A party is organised at the home of the bride-to-be during which the scambio dell'oro (exchange of gold) takes place: the groom receives from his in-laws a piece of gold jewellery (watch, chain, tie clip) that he will wear on the wedding day, and the bride receives in exchange the complete set of clothes.
In Basilicata, dancing is an important part of the ceremony and all participants are invited to take part in it on the arm of a partner; in Matera, during the ballo dello specchio (mirror ball), the women, holding a mirror in their hands, can either accept the knight who comes along or refuse him by wiping the mirror with a scarf. In Basilicata, always, if the wind rises at the time of the bridal procession, it means a fight between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law!
The education system
Public school is free and compulsory until the age of 16 and the school divisions are as follows:
The scuola dell'infanzia
is the nursery school, which caters for children from 3 to 6 years old.The scuola primaria
, which lasts 5 years, corresponds to our primary school and is for children aged 6 to 10. They have about 30 hours of lessons per week, spread over 6 days.The scuola media is the first cycle of secondary education, equivalent to the French collège. It concerns 11-14 year olds and lasts for 3 years, at the end of which the student must pass an examination, the licenza media
.The liceo corresponds to the general secondary education of the second cycle and lasts 5 years. Students can choose between classical, scientific, linguistic or artistic studies. The final exam, the maturità
, corresponds to the French baccalauréat. In addition to the general branch, the education system also offers technical and professional education. Finally, it should be noted that in the middle school, as in the high school, classes are held in the morning from Monday to Saturday until about 1 p.m. Unless the child is enrolled in an extra-curricular activity, the afternoon is free: this will answer the question that is often asked when travelling in Italy: "But why aren't these young people at school? As for the university system, it is divided into two cycles, for a total of 5 years. After the first three years, a laurea triennale (which corresponds to a French licence) is delivered, then it is necessary to do another 2 years to obtain a laurea magistrale (a master). There are several universities in the three regions. The University of Bari, founded in 1925, is the oldest and the most important in terms of number of students (over 60,000). In Puglia, the other universities are the Polytechnic of Bari, the University of Salento, whose main seat is in Lecce, and the University of Foggia. Calabria has three universities, in Reggio di Calabria, Catanzaro and Rende near Cosenza. Finally, the Università degli Studi della Basilicata, founded in 1982, is divided between the main site in Potenza and that of Matera.Table fun and football
In Italy, more than anywhere else, the meal is a moment of conviviality and sociability. The multiplication of courses (antipasti, primo, secondo, dolce, digestivo, caffè
) is perhaps only intended to keep the guests at the table as long as possible! The meal can thus go on forever, bringing families and friends together in a moment of sharing.Despite this apparent abundance of food, Italians are not particularly big eaters and the food, while generous, is rarely gargantuan. The Italian is not a big drinker either, consuming alcohol with a natural moderation. This is not new, if we are to believe the manuscripts of the late Middle Ages in which the authors of the peninsula unreservedly criticize the gluttony and propensity for alcohol of their Germanic neighbors!
Food and drink sometimes appear more as a pretext for social bonding. In the late afternoon, the tradition ofaperitivo
is a good example: Italians gather around a drink and nibbles, and chat happily, sitting on the terrace or gathered around a stand-up table, while distractedly watching the flow of passers-by.The bar is a place for socializing at any time of the day: in the morning, many Italians line up along the counter to gulp down an espresso
before heading off to work, exchanging a few words with the waiter or other customers. There is also a sport that brings together all ages and all strata of society: football(calcio), a true national religion! During a match, social distinctions are erased and the tifosi (supporters) unite with fervour to encourage their team, whistle at the opponent who has committed a foul and comment on the actions. Football is also a family affair, and it is common to see parents with their children in the stands, along with pensioners and groups of teenagers. The atmosphere in an Italian stadium is generally good-natured and hooliganism is rare; attending a match in Italy is a great opportunity to experience the spirit of a community around its national sport.
