Italians are like Armenians with their traditions and customs. For
example Italians kiss each other when they meet. It isn’t usually really a
kiss, more a delicate brushing of the cheeks accompanied by kissing noises.
There are
usually two kisses – first on the right cheek, then on the left. It’s also
common in Italy for male relatives and close male friends to embrace each
other.
For us and
for Italians family is very important value. Their
family solidarity is focused on extended family rather than the west's idea of
"the nuclear family" of just a mom, dad and kids. Italians have
frequent family gatherings and enjoy spending time with their family. Children
are reared to remain close to the family upon adulthood and incorporate their
future family into the larger network.
Family
gatherings are frequent and often centered around food.
Italian
cuisine has influenced food culture around the world and is viewed as a form of
art by many. Wine, cheese and pasta are important part of Italian meals. Pasta
comes in a wide range of shapes, widths and lengths, including penne,
spaghetti, linguine, fusilli and lasagna.
No one area
of Italy eats the same things as the next. Each region has its own spin on
"Italian food," according to CNN. For example, most of the foods
that people view as Italian, such as spaghetti and pizza, come from central
Italy. In the North of Italy, fish, potatoes, rice, sausages, pork and
different types of cheeses are the most common ingredients. Pasta dishes with
tomatoes are popular, as are many kinds of stuffed pasta, polenta and risotto.
In the South, dishes are dominated by tomatoes, either served fresh or cooked
into sauce, and also includes capers, peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic,
artichokes, eggplant and ricotta cheese.
Italians say ‘good appetite’ (buon appetito) before starting a
meal and if you’re invited to dinner by an Italian family, and they offer you a
glass of wine, you must wait until your host has made a toast (salute!)
before drinking. Besides when you’re invited by them, you should take along a
small present of flowers, pastries or chocolates. Gifts of foreign food or
drink aren’t generally well received.
Besides food
art Italy is famous with other kind of art too. Italy
has given rise to a number of architectural styles, including classical Roman,
Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. Italy is home to some of the most famous
structures in the world, including Coliseum and the Leaning
Tower of Pisa.
The concept of a basilica — which was originally used to describe an
open public court building and evolved to mean a Catholic pilgrimage site — was
born in Italy.
Florence, Venice and Rome are home to many museums, but art can be
viewed in churches and public buildings. Most notable is the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, painted by Michelangelo sometime
between 1508 and 1512.
Opera has its roots in Italy and many famous operas — including
"Aida" and "La Traviata," both by Giuseppe Verdi, and
"Pagliacci" by Ruggero Leoncavallo — were written in Italian and are
still performed in the native language. More recently, Italian tenor Luciano
Pavarotti made opera more accessible to the masses as part of the
Three Tenors.
And so
Italia is a country, which traditions become art and source of inspiration for
many people.
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