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Quando registro questo episodio siamo all’inizio di giugno, il tempo perfetto per parlare delle vacanze. Fa già molto caldo in Italia, le temperature superano 30 gradi e tanti vanno già al mare. Forse anche tu stai pensando di venire in Italia a fare le vacanze? In questo episodio ti racconto un po’ dell’estate italiana, i suoi ritmi e le sue curiosità.
Summer in Italy
The summer season, the unofficial one, starts when the weather starts to be nice. There are some who go to the beach early in May, there are those who wait for the end of school, holidays at work, or wait for the lidi to start working. Then there are those who are waiting for August – the holy month of the Italian holidays.
The origin of Ferragosto
August for Italians is a month of chiuso per ferie, that is the period in which commercial activities such as shops, professional studios, factories are closed so that the owners and employees can go on vacation. The origin of this custom is older than one might imagine and dates back to the ancient Romans. In those days, in fact, most of the workers devoted themselves to agriculture and in particular to the cultivation of wheat. Since the harvest of this cereal took place in July, August was a period of rest for many people. Thus, in the distant 18 BC the emperor Octavian Augustus decided to establish the Augustus feriae for 1 August, officially designating this month as a period dedicated to rest. Later, the Catholic Church moved the Ferragosto to 15th August to make the holiday coincide with the day of the Assumption of Mary.
August in Italy nowadays
In August, the big cities are depopulated and the seaside resorts multiply the inhabitants in an immeasurable way. The prices of accommodation and services go up immensely, finding parking near the places of interest of vacationers is an impossible task, booking a table in the most popular restaurants is very difficult. But there is something fascinating in August. There is the light-hearted atmosphere favored by parties, festivals, and concerts. There is the sultry heat that allows nothing but bathing in the sea, there is the company of old friends who meet again after a while. And yes, it is a special time for most Italians.