9 Things that make Italy a unique place

When talking about Italy, the first things that usually come to mind are pasta, pizza, shopping in Milan — one of the world’s fashion capitals — and the historic sites recognized by Unesco. Italians, however, would certainly say that the country is much more than that — and that’s when we tend to discover things and traditions not seen in other countries. For example, did you know that Italians release furniture on Christmas Eve? What about the existence of haunted islands?

We, from awesome.clubwe will deal in this article with things and traditions of Italy that you have probably never heard of.

Italians not only choose special clothes to celebrate the New Year, but also bet on lingerie with a touch of red. In the country, men and women wear red underwear at the turn of one year to the next, as the color would serve to attract good luck. It is possible to find the same tradition in certain Latin countries, but generally the chosen color is yellow, not red. In such cultures, yellow would be a beacon for love and happiness.

On New Year’s Eve, people in some countries try to perform small tasks, such as buying the missing gifts from the list. But the Italians have a very different tradition for the date: they throw pots, pans and even furniture out of windows. The act symbolizes letting go of the old and being ready for a fresh start.

One of the smallest islands in Naples, Isola della Gaiola is beautiful, without a doubt. However, it is still frightening. For the natives, the island is cursed due to the many deaths of its owners. The first inhabitant of the place, who had a solitary existence, simply disappeared without a trace. The next died of a heart attack and another met a tragic end in a mental hospital. And these are just a few cases. After so many incidents, the island is currently uninhabited and isolated.

Italians tend to eat very late, and most restaurants don’t even open until 7-7:30 pm. Depending on the region, people have dinner around 9 pm. The habit can be explained by the fact that Italians take a long break of two hours during the working day. So they end up having dinner later.

In general, Italians don’t eat fruits like apples, pears and peaches with skin. They tend to peel them first, a habit that many residents of other countries see as odd. The explanation is that Italians prioritize healthy eating, considering that pesticides applied to fruit are not properly removed, even after washing.

Fried eggs with bacon, bread and butter can be part of breakfast if you are not Italian. However, natives of the country prefer to eat something sweet in the morning, such as cereal or cookies, fruit and espresso.

In Italy, you can find not only some of the most interesting historical sites in the world, but also a haunted island. The island of Poveglia is known as the “Island of Ghosts”, due to its peculiar history. For over 100 years, the site was used as a quarantine point for plague victims. About 160,000 people were reportedly cremated on the island. Today, it is officially off-limits to tourists.

While many cultures consider “13” a number linked to bad luck, for Italians it is “17.” This is because changing the order of the Roman numeral XVII can create the word “VIXI”, which can be translated from Latin as “my life is over”. Because of belief, some hotels do not have the 17th floor.

It is easy to find a lot of material on the internet showing how to dress in the style of Italian women, something that is not surprising considering the country where Milan is located, considered one of the world capitals of fashion. In the country, both men and women follow fashion trends and maintain class regardless of the situation. Even for shopping at the supermarket, Italian women tend to always look amazing and glamorous!

How about leaving a comment telling about typical customs of the place where you live? We’d love to know more about it!