Learning to Change...

When I brought Chiara to school this morning, I saw something that has provoked a lot of thought as I’ve been doing things around the house today. A classroom down the hall from hers is doing a big project, and they have pictures and drawings hanging on the walls outside of their classroom to show everybody. Guess what the project is? Making wine! Now, you might not think it’s such a big deal, but think again. First of all, these kids are 3, 4, and 5 years old. Second of all, this is a private Catholic school. And the kids are making wine in class! How awesome is that! I think it’s awesome because wine is such a huge part of the Italian culture. People use it in cooking, as a drink to compliment their dinner, as a drink to compliment their dessert, everything. When a teen is offered their first taste of wine at a special occasion, it’s kind of like a right-of-passage. But in America, wine – or any alcohol – is seen completely differently. By religious fanatics it’s viewed as a sin and they don’t understand why Catholics drink wine in church. For teenagers it’s the forbidden fruit that they can't wait to get their hand on. And for college kids and beyond, it’s a vehicle that leads only to drunkenness and bad decisions.

Could you imagine the uproar if the kindergarteners at your local elementary school started making wine as a class project? I mean, if parents and educators were flipping out about the president of our country merely talking to students about the important of education, imagine what they would say about wine. It makes me think a lot about the differences in the Italian versus the American culture and lifestyle. So, I wanted to share with you all some other cultural differences I’ve noticed in the past few months. It’s rather interesting!

The first, and my least favorite, is that air conditioning is virtually non-existent. Buildings and homes in Italy are extremely old; definitely built long before air conditioning was even invented. It would be impossible to install an AC system and vents and all that good stuff. It is possible to get an AC unit that you can attach to a wall, but they are very expensive and cause your electric bill to sky-rocket. Anyways, the buildings being as old as they are, they were built with stone and brick and other materials that give them the ability to stay pretty cool in the hottest of temperatures. However, on the flip side, I’ve never been in a car in Italy that had the air conditioning turned on. You would think since its sweltering hot outside, and it’s not like they have to pay a ‘bill’ for how much AC they use in a car, that they would use it all the time. Right? Nope! If you’re lucky, the window may be cracked a bit. I think this all goes back to an old wives tale of the Colpo d’aria, or the fear that a gust of cool air in the middle of summer will make you sick.

Another odd difference is that all of the refrigerators in Italy are really small. Most food products in Italy, including wine, have no preservatives in them, so there is literally no such thing as ‘stocking the fridge for the week.’ Most Italians go out every morning, or at least every other morning, to buy fresh milk, fresh bread, fresh meat and other things that they will need for just that day. Doing a huge grocery shopping every couple of weeks is literally unheard of. I kind of like it better this way, because the products we get are fresh. For example, mozzarella di bufala, is actually controlled by a law and cannot be stored for any longer than 48 hours. So to be sure that the mozzarella you’re buying is fresh, you can look for the ‘DOP’ stamp of approval. How great! To go along with this, all of the supermarkets are really small. This is because you only go to the supermarket for your basic items; then you go to the bakery for your bread, the market for your fruits and veggies, the butcher for your meat, etc.

Something else that I couldn’t help but notice is the dynamics of the Italian family. Most profound is the fact that children live with their parents until they get married. Rosa lived with her mom until literally the day of her wedding, when she was 28. Rosa has a younger sister, Mary, who is 26 years old, finished with school, has a career as a dentist, has bought herself a beautiful car, and she still lives at home with her mom! Her mom still packs her lunch every day! This concept is just so hard for me to grasp because I’ve been on my own for the past 4 years and I’m only 22. I love my parents to death but if I had to live with them until I got married, I might marry the next guy I see just to get the hell out of their house! Same for Mario, the guy I met in Gaeta. He’s even older than Mary, has a career as well, and lives at home with his parents. He keeps asking me when I’m going to come visit him in Caserta, and all I can think is “And, what? Sleep on your parent’s couch and have un caffé with them in the morning?!”

The lists of differences can go on and on forever. No screens on the windows, no ice in drinks, a bidet in every bathroom, washing machines but no dryers, month-long vacations, folk dances and songs, and more. Most have a long explanation behind them, as do all things in Italy. Italy is a country full of culture and tradition that dates back years and years and years.

Read more about Italian traditions and customs here!