All through Italy a few days before August 15th the Italians can be heard wishing others “Buon Ferragosto”. It is said with enthusiasm and delight because Ferragosto is THE Italian holiday of summer. It is a day when Italians stop working and spend the day in celebration, usually at the beach or in the mountains. It is a day of eating, laughing, drinking wine, playing and enjoying the summer sun. The dining tables are filled with pastas, meat dishes, cold fruit desserts, wines and limoncellos, often made from old family recipes. The beaches, lakes, and mountain towns are full of families and friends gathered together sharing their joy, their summer harvests, their stories, and their love for La Dolce Vita.
Ferragosto was established in 18 B.C. by the Emperor Augustus.It comes from the latin term Feriae Augusti ( Augustus’ Holidays). In order to give the workers a break after months working in the fields Augustus created the holiday, a second reason surely was that it made him incredibly popular as well, a strong motivator for every Roman Emperor. In the morning the workers would pass by their patrons’ houses to greet them and to collect a small tip for their troubles, then they would make their way to one of the many horse races (Palio’s) held throughout the Roman Empire.
Today Ferragosto is celebrated on the 13th, 14th and 15th of August-however most businesses will close on the 15th in honor of the traditional day of Ferragosto. While Augustus established Ferragosto on the 1st of August the Catholic church changed the event to the 15th so that it was on the day of the Assumption of Mary. (Assumption day is a public holiday in many Catholic or Orthodox countries across Europe.)
In 1925 Benito Mussolini, together with “After-Work Associations” (corporate associations who controlled the after-work activities of Italy’s workforce at the time), organized hundreds of trips around Italy for Italians. They offered hugely discounted train fares which allowed the working class of Italy to explore the country. The dates of validity were the 13th, 14th and 15th of August. It was a huge success. Italians were able to see parts of their country they had never seen before.
This Mussolini-era interpretation of Ferragosto was quickly adopted and became the “modern” way to celebrate Ferragosto. Most cities in Italy are abandoned by the residents and left to the tourists. Businesses close and the Italians take refuge from the summer heat by the sea, or in the cooler air of the mountains. While these areas can be incredibly crowded during this week, there is an overwhelming sense of relaxation, and celebration that is infectious.
Traveling during this time period in Italy can be a bit daunting and frustrating. There is a lot of road traffic leading up to these days and the weekend after. Most shops are closed in the cities and the interior of the country, as are the government offices. Therefore, picking a different week to travel to Italy may be worth considering. The prices of hotels are generally almost doubled and need to be booked at least 6 months in advance, if not more, should you choose to visit a popular destination.
Traveling during this time period however, can provide you a look at Italian culture you will not see any other time of the year. It is a time when adults become as lighthearted as children, when someone pulls out a guitar and old familiar songs are sung together, it is a time when the pride in their recipes is on full display, and when the weight of the humid summer is lifted by the lightness of Italians who know how to leave it all behind and celebrate the moment, and the joy of being together.
Ferragosto is the purest example of what makes the Italian lifestyle so envied around the world. For those seeking a true Italian experience it may be worth the frustration and added expense in order to witness "Dolce far niente" (the sweetness of doing nothing).
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