Italian vacation. Traditions of Ferragosto

Holidays in Italy in 2018 and 2019… where to begin?! Let's start with the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary or Ferragosto. The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, locally known as Ferragosto or Ascension, is celebrated annually on August 15th. Ferragosto is one of the most revered holidays in Italy.

Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary or Ferragosto in 2018 and 2019

August 15, 2018

Wednesday 15 August – Ferragosto.

August 15th is the most revered holiday in Italy in August, which also refers to public holidays Italy.

August 15, 2019

This holiday is very important not only in Italy, but also in all countries where Catholicism is the basis of the Christian religion. However, it was in Italy that this holiday acquired special significance, thanks to the many unique qualities unique to this country.

History, customs and meaning of the Ferragosto holiday

Story

The holiday itself, like many others, comes from the religious traditions of pagan beliefs. Initially, this day was celebrated as the birthday of the goddess of the sea, Isis. However, over time, this holiday became part of Christian traditions, and since then it has been one of the most sacred holidays of the Catholic Church.

Meaning

The meaning of the Feast of the Ascension is to honor the day when the Most Holy Mary, the Mother of God, left her body in the earth to ascend to Heaven. According to legend, Mary was different from all other mortal women, and for this reason she was not supposed to die in the literal sense, but was supposed to go to heaven calmly and painlessly. This is what the Roman Catholic Church has been saying since the time of the Roman Empire.

Customs

As explained above, the holiday is very popular in all countries where the Catholic faith is a central element of the culture. However, there are many customs that can be seen on this day that are unique to Italy. For example, many cities in Italy organize special holidays in which there are many regional dishes available at discounted prices.

In conclusion - holiday in Italy today!

Italians love holidays very much, and the Assumption Holy Mother of God this is certainly an excellent reason to celebrate. On this day, many fireworks are launched, and the general atmosphere of the holiday is filled with joy. This is one of the largest and happy Holidays, which are included in the Italian social calendar.

Today Ferragosto is an Italian holiday!

To learn more about the Ferragosto festival or what holidays in Italy in 2018 there is more, contact us and study the articles on our site. If you are planning your trip to Italy in August, then the following articles will be useful to you: “ , “

In Italy there is a holiday that is unlike any other - Ferragosto. It is very ancient. In the era of the ancient Roman Empire, the end of the harvest occurred in mid-August. Then consularia were celebrated in honor of the god of the earth Konsu. Residents brought first fruits to his altar, gave each other gifts and wished to have a good rest after working in the field. Under Emperor Julius Caesar, the holiday was dedicated to him, calling it Augustalia. Ferragosto or Feriae Augusti literally means "rest of Augustus". In modern times, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on this day.

In mid-August, all of Italy is on vacation. Millions of people are leaving cities, rushing to the sea and nature. And tourists remain in the cities, who, however, do not have to be bored. Festive processions, fireworks and festivals are a constant feature of Ferragosto in Italy. If you decide to come to this country in mid-August, you will always be welcome.

Ferragosto: what a holiday

According to tradition, on August 15, in the cities of Italy, solemn processions are organized to the temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as in the old days, bringing the first fruits of this year. Then comes the turn folk festival, with concerts, festive fireworks and loud music. Young people light a fire on the beach and walk all night. Italians douse themselves with water (because it’s hot) and throw water-filled balloons at each other.

Margeritine di Strezza cookies are baked for the holiday. Queen Margarita treated her subjects to it in the mid-19th century. Italian hotels and tour operators are reducing prices for their services. So a holiday in Ferragosto is in any case more profitable than in other summer months. Join the cheerful crowd of tourists, feel the full beauty of this ancient holiday, you can by visiting Italy in mid-August. To do this you need:

Buy a ticket, book a hotel in one of the main tourist cities (Rome, Florence, Venice);
instructing him to ensure that you have best places at this holiday;
Don't listen to the grumbling of skeptics about the August heat and the flight of Italians from the cities

An experienced guide to Italy, Slavomir Lazarov, can become your faithful companion and guide on this celebration of life. He will show you everything you want to see in this country, what you have only heard or dreamed about. The Ferragosto holiday in Italy is only two days of fun, a riot of colors and emotions in the city that you decide to visit first. The country is rich in traditions, and each city has its own, including on the day when Ferragosto is celebrated. In Italy 2019, despite the holidays, all hotels, restaurants and cafes, museums and galleries are open. A lot of interesting things await you. You will only take with you good impressions and pleasant memories of Italy and the Ferragosto holiday.

“Ferragosto”... - “ferro” - probably something “iron”, I thought when I first heard this Italian word. And although the August heat, indeed, “grabs the Apennines by the throat with an iron grip,” this concept has nothing to do with metal.

“Ferragosto” is the time of summer holidays, when Italians, who have warmly welcomed tourists all year, also turn into travelers; this is a holiday that is celebrated by the entire Catholic world, this is a tradition that has developed over centuries; finally, it is simple - the state of the Italian soul.

“I’ll go to Ferragosto in...” - residents of the Apennines say dreamily throughout the year, while singing the famous song “Notte di Ferragosto” (“On the Night of Ferragosto”) by Gianni Morandi, full of romanticism and expectation of a miracle. And of the 39 vacation days allotted to them according to the country's legislation, they devote the lion's share to Ferragosto.

WHAT IS “FERRAGOSTO”?

We asked ourselves this question, and went into the archives to search for an answer to this question.

The Ferragosto tradition, historians say, arose in ancient times.

Emperor of Ancient Rome Octavian Augustus precisely in this summer month, although in different years, returned in triumph to Rome from military campaigns. At this time, Egypt submitted to the power of Rome, and then the bloody civil wars between the Romans were put to an end. Considering these significant events to be happy omens for the Roman Empire, the senators decided to name such a happy month in honor of the emperor - “August”.

And in 18 BC the emperor himself ordered the establishment of an annual vacation for Roman citizens - vacations. Since they fell in the month named after him, they began to be called “ferie augustales” or “August holidays”.

Times have changed, morals have changed, but the tradition of Ferragosta has firmly entered the life of Italians, and they have strictly observed it for centuries.

The peak of the "August holidays" falls on August 15 - when the entire Catholic world celebrates the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Although this day is associated with the earthly dormition or death of the Virgin Mary, according to Christian tradition, this is a joyful event in which a person’s hope for rebirth and eternal life was embodied. If we dig even deeper, we will find evidence that since time immemorial, from mid-August on the territory of modern Italy, the harvest began, which was accompanied by celebrations.

It is not known for certain whether Mary left earthly life on August 15, however, according to Christian teaching, she paved the way for people to new life. Therefore, this day is celebrated cheerfully and colorfully. In all cities - large and small - on August 15, festive processions are organized to the main temple, where the first fruits of the new harvest are carried.

Every city in Italy has its own traditions associated with this day. For example, in Rome in the 17th century it was customary to block the drains at the fountains in Piazza Navona, and in a few hours it turned into a pond. On the area covered with water, colorful performances were staged, people bathed, and at the same time they washed horses and carriages. Today, lakes are no longer arranged in Rome's Piazza Navona, but paintings and engravings by numerous artists remind us of this tradition.

On August 15, all of Italy comes to a standstill. Even those who continue to work in this hot summer month close their offices, workshops, shops and leave the city at least for one day. Deserted streets, closed shutters on the windows of houses and barred shop windows - this picture can be seen everywhere in Italy.

Cafes, pizzerias and restaurants are usually closed for several days. But recently this tradition had to be broken. According to the president of the trade union association of bars and restaurants of the city of Rome, Nazzareno Sacchi, all “points” of the city will be open seven days a week in August. This is due to the fact that the restaurant business is currently experiencing a serious crisis, characterized by a 30% decline. And the most unprofitable month, according to Sacchi, is August. “Every year tourists spend less and less money on food in restaurants. This is due to the fact that wealthier tourists prefer to vacation in less hot months, and in the summer it is young people who make up the majority of vacationers who eat at fast foods ".

"THROUGH THE THORNS TO THE STARS"

"Per aspera ad astra", which means "Through thorns - to the stars" was spoken on Italian soil in ancient times. And this is completely in tune with the situation that is developing in modern Italy on the first weekend of August - at the beginning of Ferragosto. According to official data from the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, more than 50% of the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula (39 million out of 59.5 million) simultaneously “moved” from large cities to nature in 2007. In Rome with a population of 3 million, for example, 1 million indigenous people remained, in Milan (3.7 million) and Naples (1.1 million) - 800 thousand, in Palermo - 600 thousand, in Turin - 400 thousand ., in Genoa - 350 thousand, in Bologna - 280 thousand, and in Florence - only 200 thousand people. Tourists coming to cities on excursions at this time were not taken into account.

...ON AN IRON HORSE...

According to statistics, every third European goes on vacation on his “iron horse”. In 2007, the Italians acted “more modestly” than their neighbors. During the first weekend of August, “only” 7 million motorists took to the country’s roads. Naturally, traffic jams in all directions were enormous. Add to this the foreign motor tourists who complicated traffic in the northern directions. For example, in Austria, at the approach to the Tauern tunnel through the Alps, a traffic jam formed for 25 kilometers. Moreover, the search for detour routes turned out to be futile - all the highways were deadlocked. The fact is that local tourists traveling to Italy have also been supplemented by vacationers from neighboring Germany. As a result, the Western press was full of headlines like “Five hours erased from life, or the start of a vacation.”

...ON THE RAILWAY...

Smart Italians preferred a more reliable and comfortable form of transport in 2007 - railway trains. According to reports from Italian railway workers, during the summer months, which partly includes the beginning of September, they transported 15 million Italian citizens, 4 million of which occurred during the first Ferragosto weekend. However, the Italian government has made sure that railway crossings are as convenient as possible. Thus, by his order, 1,200 trains with 500 thousand seats were prepared for travel within the country.

...ON A BIRD WITH IRON WINGS...

Naturally, the airports were also overcrowded. For example, at Milan's Malpensa airport alone, on the first weekend of August, 250 thousand passengers on 2,600 international and intercity flights were preparing for departure. And at the capital's Fiumicino airport, a serious problem arose, which was called “baggage chaos.” Thousands of people were forced to fly away without their belongings, and it took several days to find them. The Italian prosecutor's office even began an investigation into the reasons for this situation. And the Minister of Transport, Alessandro Bianchi, spoke to the citizens of Italy, who assured that the introduction of an additional 80 professionals into the luggage service sector and vigilant monitoring of the situation by the government will solve the problem...

WHERE ARE ORDINARY ITALIANS GOING...

The vast majority of married couples (80%), according to "Osservatore Romano", choose a seaside holiday. Wherein ideal option they named combining a beach holiday with family and visiting relatives and friends.

It turns out that, despite their temperament, family Italians are quite conservative when it comes to the “August holidays”. On Ferragosto they prefer to go to the same places year after year. And they name safety (62%), calmness (54%) and organization (48%) as the main positive parameters of a successful vacation. Residents of the Apennines prefer dishes that are familiar to them, and unfamiliar dishes are simply rejected by every fifth person. Do not want married couples communicate on vacation and with unknown people, preferring their own household. Well, just a family paradise, you will say, and you will not be entirely right, since it is the relatives who spoil the vacation experience. Most often, a trip is overshadowed by the behavior of a wife or husband (64%), followed by children and friends. Parents who have not been seen for a long time cause the least problems on vacation.

The online resource Parship.it decided to conduct a study of vacation preferences during Ferragosto among unmarried Italians aged 25 to 64 years. It turned out that loneliness during the holidays is not a concern for a third of respondents “not burdened with the bonds of Hymen” (37.02% of men and 30% of women). And yet they still have the hope of meeting their other half these days. But for this, they believe, rest should be as active as possible.

In 2007, 19.3% were in favor of a holiday in the mountains, which requires individual effort and teamwork; for comparison, in 2005 this figure was 10.5%. 17.5% preferred traveling by sea on cruise ships. 27%, armed with guidebooks and tour guides, set out to explore the sights of the country and the world.

But the popularity of rural holidays is noticeably declining.

...AND THE GREATEST OF THIS WORLD

The tradition, which requires devoting the time of the “August holidays” to rest, is strictly adhered to not only by ordinary Italians, but also by the most famous residents of the Apennine Peninsula. For example, in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI held Ferragosto at his summer country residence in Castel Gandolfo, 30 km from Rome. The head of the Italian state, Giorgio Napolitano, is by the sea, in the presidential residence in Castel Porziano. And the now former Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Romano Prodi, as usual, was relaxing with his family on the Tuscan coast, in the town of Castiglione delle Pescaia, which is located a stone's throw from his hometown Bologna and a couple of hours drive from Rome. Here, far from the bustle and worries, in the circle of friends and relatives, Prodi celebrated his birthday on August 9. Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi returned with his family to Villa Certosa in the city of Porto Rotondo, which is considered the capital of the Emerald Coast (north-eastern coast of Sardinia). True, this extravagant politician last year celebrated “Ferragosto” on “Certosa” in such a way that he led the local population into panic. On the night of August 14-15, with the help of pyrotechnicians, he staged an artificial volcanic eruption. Not knowing what was happening, dozens of concerned residents called the civil defense service and reported "a natural disaster that they had witnessed."

Today on the eve of the Italian holiday Ferragosto(Ferragosto) it would not be superfluous to tell what it is and where it came from in the ancient expanses of Italy.

When is Ferragosto celebrated?

Let's start in order. Ferragosto in Italy is exactly in the middle of the last month of summer and this celebration seems to be the start for widespread holidays throughout Italy.

That is, after August 15, almost all offices and most stores are closed for 2 weeks. A holy time is coming for Italians - vacanza (or vacation translated into Russian).

The most interesting thing is that this Ferragosto holiday intertwined two Italian holidays at the same time - church and pagan.

Day of the Dormition of the Mother of God

Church holiday is Day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which passed away precisely on August 15, which is known for certain from surviving historical evidence.

However, despite the fact that the death of the Virgin Matter should theoretically be mourned and mark a sad day, but according to Christian traditions, this day is celebrated in a very positive sense, because it embodies the hope of humanity for rebirth and eternal life.

What is Ferragosto

The pagan roots of Ferragosto go back to the heyday of the Roman Empire, to the 1st century BC, when the Roman emperor Caesar Octavian, who managed to conquer Egypt and stop civil wars within the Roman Empire, was named Emperor Augustus by the decision of the Senate for his merits. It was also decided to name the eighth month of the year in honor of the emperor Augustus.

Under Augustus, the local festival of the end of the harvest, which fell in the middle of the month, began to be called “Augustalia” and, accordingly, the greetings exchanged by the Romans sounded like “ Bonas ferias augustales", and over time the words were shortened to " Buon" or " Have a nice Ferragosto". Which has survived to this day.

As noted by Ferragosto

Italians, even those who do not leave for two weeks, go from their cities to nature for at least a few days.

On this day, they turn into deserted ghosts, along which only tourists who wander here can scurry about alone, in search of at least some open bar to have a drink. However, often their hopes are not justified. Since finding an open establishment on Ferragosto day is truly a feat! Italians sacredly honor their traditions. Especially when it comes to relaxation!

This song by the famous contemporary Italian singer Samuel Bersani is called “Ferragosto”. It's a little strange, probably the same as Samuel himself, but listening to it you feel the heat summer day, sadness about the passing summer and a little melancholy….

How did you feel after listening to this song?

The origin of Ferragosto is associated with the pagan rites of the ancient Romans (consualia), dedicated to the mythological god of agriculture - Consus. They were celebrated in August, hence the phrase “Have a nice August holiday!” sounded like “Bonas ferias augustales”, or briefly “Buonas ferragosto”. Later, the Catholic Church timed this celebration to coincide with the Day of the Assumption, as well as the Ascension of the Mother of God.

Today this day is extremely important not only for Catholic believers, but for everyone who plans to travel to Italy. For two weeks after Ferragosto, Italy comes to a standstill: the streets are empty, almost all shops are closed, enterprises and organizations also suspend their work.

One of the oldest traditions, naturally, are religious processions (the holiday has been officially considered religious for many centuries), although they differ depending on the city. In Palermo, a statue of the Madonna is carried through the city by young men, in Sassari, huge papier-mâché candlesticks in the shape of palm trees are carried through the city, in Tivoli, statues of the Virgin and Christ meet each other.

In many Italian cities, the holiday ends with large fireworks.

In Lombardy and Piedmont, until the first decades of the 20th century, there was a custom of cash or food gifts to subordinates from their superiors, which allowed workers to properly celebrate Ferragosto.

In Turin, until the mid-20th century, many townspeople on August 15 went for lunch at a restaurant or for a picnic in a park on the banks of the Po River, not far from the Madonna del Pilone church, notes Italia-ru.

In the city of Porto Santo Stefano in Tuscany, on the day of Ferragosto, the maritime Palio del Argentario is held - an ancient rowing boat competition, very reminiscent of a colorful carnival.

In Siena, the day after Ferragosto, August 16, the traditional Palio is held - a horse race, also dedicated to the Ascension of the Virgin Mary.

In Rome, until the beginning of the 20th century, Piazza Navona was filled with water every Sunday throughout August. Swimming in the makeshift pool was accompanied by jokes, splashes and being pushed into the water.

Roast pigeons have long been considered the traditional and most delicious dish of this holiday. Now its popularity remains only in some areas of the country, and this tradition was born in Tuscany a thousand years ago.

In Ferragosto, Sicily, they prepare “gelu di muluna” - frozen melon jam, garnished with lemon leaves and jasmine flowers.

In Rome, Ferragosto's traditional lunch dish is chicken in bell pepper sauce, often preceded by chicken liver pasta, and finished with chilled watermelon.

"Margheritine di Stresa" is a festive cookie. Invented by a pastry chef in Stresa in 1857, "Margheritine di Stresa" cookies became so popular that they were served to the guests of Queen Margherita during the celebration of Ferragosto.

In the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, Ferragosto baked aniseed pretzels, placing them in beautiful holiday packages.

These traditions have not been preserved in all places, but one rule is imperishable - after Ferragosto, hoping to find open shops, cafes or restaurants in Italy is almost hopeless. Some establishments, of course, will open in 2-3 days, but most Italians will return to work in at least a week, and usually in two.