What is the Italian Holiday Ferragosto and how is it Celebrated?

Buon Ferragosto! A popular greeting heard amongst Italians towards the end of summer.

What is Ferragosto?

Ferragosto, technically August 15, is the official start to the Italian exodus out of the city to the clean, cool air of the mountains or to the sunny, playful costal beaches. It is a sacred time, a time to spend with family and friends; to forget about work and obligations. It is a one-day national holiday that has been expanded to include most of August. Depending on the industry, vacation time can be anywhere from 2 weeks to the entire month. Some must return to work immediately after, but most Italians will take at least the following 2 weeks of summer off. Many businesses are closed during this time; however the government requires a certain number of facilities to be open in a geographical area such as pharmacies, hotels, restaurants, coffee bars and groceries stores. The museums, restaurant and sites we all covet will be open throughout the month, tourism is too important to shut everything down.

How it started

The exact translation of “Ferragosto” is derived from the Latin “feriae Augusti“, meaning the holidays of Augustus. This festival was started by emperor Octavian Augustus in 18 BCE to celebrate the harvest with rest and relaxation. It was also, subtly derived to consolidate his power by offering a break to the empire's workers and to celebrate his name by creating the holiday in August. Although the first Ferragosto was celebrated on August 1, the Catholic Church decided to join in and celebrate the Assumption of Mary which fell on the 15th. Today Ferragosto begins on the 15th. [Euro News]

Although most of Italy sees this time as an opportunity to get away, be with family and friends, eat and drink, religious circles still celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the belief that God took the body of Jesus’ mother Mary into heaven at her death. The popular tradition of taking a trip during Ferragosto was introduced under the Fascist regime in the second half of the 1920’s. The regime’s recreational organizations began organizing hundreds of trips setting up the “People’s Trains of Ferragosto” which provided discounted prices to less affluent people and gave them opportunity to travel to other parts of Italy and to spend time at mountain and beach side resorts.

The tradition has continued to this day and Ferragosto has become a celebration of summer!

Traveling to Italy in August

If your plans take you to Italy in August, here are a few things that can help:

The heat will be intense and you will be tempted to strip down to practically nothing, but keep in mind that most of Italy's grand cathedrals have a strict dress code.
Visit as much as you can as early as possible to avoid throngs of tourists and the heat.
Make sure your accommodations have A/C. Air conditioning is not as ubiquitous in Italy as it is here in the States.
Book all sites online to avoid long outside lines.
Visit out of the way places like lakes and smaller villages for a truer Italian experience.
Take mid-day breaks inside the cool, marbled interior churches. You may even happen upon a choir rehearsal----it's happened to me and it's so lovely.

My best advice is to pace yourself, don't try to see everything in a day, instead find the smaller, quieter corners to bask in the wonderful Italian culture that truly can be found any day of the year.

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