12 Italian Characteristics That Are Distinctive in Brazil and Might Leave Our Jaws Dropping

As the saying goes “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”, the quickest way to understand a culture is to live like the locals in it or study their habits, because like anywhere in the world, Italy also has its own characteristics, customs and traditions that make it curious, unique and different in the eyes of Brazilians, or tourists in general.

To better demonstrate the particularities of Italian culture, we, from awesome.club, we made a list of 12 curiosities and cultural differences between Brazil and Italy, in order to unravel some singularities and explain the general impressions of this country located in southern Europe. Check out!

In Italy in general, preferential seats, when they exist, are highly respected. An issue that may cause some strangeness for Brazilians is that in Italy the preferential seats and rows are intended for pregnant women and people with some physical disability. That is, it is very common to see elderly people on public transport, standing or waiting in long lines at markets.

One reason that may explain this behavior is the high life expectancy of Italians. There, the elderly population is very active. Many ride bicycles and still drive. Finally, in the case of public transport, it is up to the common sense of the person who is taking the preferential place to give way to the elderly — something that is quite common in Brazil, right?

The “most important meal of the day” for Italians is sweet and light. Unlike Brazil, in Italy you don’t eat anything salty. A cornetto (brioche) with jam, together with an espresso or a cappuccino, becomes the joy of many Italians who love having breakfast in their favorite pastry shop or in the cafeteria right outside the office.

Free drinking water is a human right in most developed countries, and Italy is no exception. Thanks to the mountains, drinking water is abundant and relatively available throughout the national territory. An alternative to bottled comes from public sources that can be found in every city and town.

This water is potable, as it is periodically controlled, and it is readily available at taps and drinking fountains, as in Rome, for example. However, some rural areas in Italy may have water that is not safe to drink. If there is a sign saying “acqua non potabile”, it means that it is not safe to eat. What an organization, huh? In Brazil, however, we have the best water purification system in the world, the clay filter, typically tupiniquim: classic!

Italians know better than anyone to announce births and marriages: they use ribbon decorations to tell the news. When a baby is born, the ornament is usually placed on the door of the house with the child’s name. The simplest includes a pair of large ribbons — pink or blue — tied in a huge bow.

But the cuteness doesn’t stop there. While in Brazil, at weddings, after the ceremony, we throw rice at the newlyweds, in some regions of Italy, the bride and groom cut a log in two with a double-handled saw. This symbolizes the couple’s partnership. Another good tradition is to tie a ribbon in front of the church. It represents the bride and groom “tying the knot”.

Italy is the country with the most sites that are declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), with 58 sites, while Brazil has 23 sites.

This recognition includes the historic centers of Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice and its lagoon, as well as archaeological areas such as the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the scenic Amalfi Coast. In an interview, the Director of Marketing and Promotion of the Italian National Agency for Tourism (Enit), Maria Elena Rossi, explains that “the fact that 60% [dos locais] being accessible by regional trains also makes slow tourism appreciated and valued. The sites are distributed throughout the national territory, and the growth potential for each region is undeniable.”

This is a habit often portrayed, sometimes exaggeratedly, in films or series with Italian characters. The truth is that Italians actually use gestures to complement their opinions and ideas. However, this gesticulation may vary depending on which part of Italy you are visiting. While in the country, don’t be alarmed if you notice people waving their hands and exchanging vigorous gestures as they talk to each other, as these are just examples of classic Italian non-verbal communication.

For example, in these two scenes that we chose above, taken from the movie Eat, Pray, Love, the two women are referring to two very common gestures among Italians. In the first case, you can use it after eating a great meal, in the second, when you want to say that you are upset with someone and, therefore, that person may be “in trouble”. In Brazil, one of the most famous gestures for foreigners, however, is the custom that we have to embrace on several occasions.

In Brazil, throwing buckets of water to clean the house is an almost mandatory practice (who never?). In Italy, however, it is unthinkable to do this, as there are no drains in an Italian residence, except in the sinks, bidets and bathtubs. So, if you’re thinking of moving to an Italian city and don’t want to flood your house, don’t risk washing the bathroom the same way you did in Brazil.

Another disparity, although not exorbitant, but interesting to point out, is that almost all Italian bathrooms are equipped with a common toilet and a bidet next to it. This combination came to be widely used in Brazil, around the 80’s, but the fashion passed quickly and now these combined pieces are rarely found in Brazilian restrooms today.

Brazilians tend to and like to make friends easily. In any part of the world, we are known for being very “open”. On the other hand, Italians are more discerning when it comes to friendship.

In Italy, friendships are no joke. When two people are friends, they go to great lengths to keep in touch, no matter the distance. So if you make a friend there, know that it will be forever.

In Brazil, there are kitchens designed with the dish rack inside the cupboard, but we still use this accessory in the most traditional way possible (as shown in the image above).

What is still a novelty for us, for the Italians is practically a rule. The idea is quite simple. After washing the dishes and mugs, pots and pans, you rinse them quickly and place them in the cupboard, where they can drip directly into the sink.

In Brazil, only numbers are used to identify houses. In Italy, the identification of intercoms or doorbells in buildings does not show the apartment number, but usually last name + first name or, simply, only the last name of the resident. Postal workers, pizza delivery people or even visitors will be guided by the last name that is there.

The famous Italian siesta comprises a period of 3 to 4 hours in which shops close every day at lunchtime so that people can get some rest. The establishments reopen only in the afternoon.

Let’s say, then, that if you are a store owner, you will possibly open the doors around 9:00 am until 12:30 pm. He goes home, cooks, eats, rests a bit, and returns to work around 3:30 pm, and finally closes for the day at approximately 7:00 pm. In Brazil, we don’t have this custom, right?! It is common for us to have up to, at most, an hour of rest for lunch, or a little more.

One last curiosity that may surprise Brazilians is that the most traditional Italian meal structure consists of many dishes, with the salad last. Unlike Brazil, where it is usually consumed at the same time as the main meal.

But there is a viable explanation for this habit. Sometimes, after eating, the taste of the meal may linger in the mouth for some time. If you’re drinking something or opting for a dessert, flavors can be altered, so for Italians, an excellent way to avoid this is to cleanse your palate with a fresh salad.

Do you know Italy? Did you experience any of these curiosities that we mentioned in this article? Tell us in the comments what else you know or would like to know about this country.