Italian Holidays
Moving to a new country has all sorts of novelties including a few new holidays to get used to. So before being the odd one racing to work on a day in which you could have stayed in bed, jot down thes...
International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
In 2009, Mexican artist Elina Chauvet introduced the powerful symbol of red shoes. Red shoes were initially intended as an art work that condemned femicide and the mistreatment of women. Since then, t...
Back to Reality: the “Rientro”
The holidays are over and everyone is returning to work, school or whatever they were doing before the break. In most countries, it’s a pretty straightforward affair, but in Italy, it’s so traumatic t...
Italian Holiday: Ferragosto, August 15
Ferragosto is a public holiday celebrated on 15 August in all of Italy. It originates from Feriae Augusti, the festival of emperor Augustus, who made the 1st of August a day of rest after the weeks of...
Italian Style Christmas
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And although you may be far from home, make the most of the season with our tips on how to celebrate an Italian Style Christmas. Your beginner’s kit should...
Celebrating Halloween in Milan
Halloween, celebrated on October 31 every year, falls on a Monday this year. The following day, November 1stis All Saints Day (Tutti Santi), a bank holiday in Italy. Here are some ideas on how to cele...
Have you met the Befana?
In Italy, January means epiphany and that means the Befana! (be’fa:na) which usually marks the end of the Christmas season. The Befana is a character from local folklore who makes her appearance durin...