Italian traditional funny things
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Experiencing culture shock is totally normal, but being prepared could save you from embarrassment and awkward moments or, as would say in Italy, “figuracce” (bad impressions)!
In this guide, I’ll share with you the most important, and at times, weird things about Italian culture that you should be aware of before your next trip to Italy.
Side note: these are fun facts and observations that will give you an insight into the way Italians act in general. They may vary depending on the region or generation. This is an opportunity to reflect on cultural differences, traditions, and stereotypes that make Italy so unique!
- Italians don’t have milk/cappuccino after breakfast
At the top of the strange things Italians do is this one: Italians don’t normally have a cappuccino after midday and definitely not during a meal that isn’t breakfast! This has probably to do with the fact that many Italians have cappuccino, or more generally, milk for breakfast, which often comes with sweet (and not savoury) food such as biscuits, pastries, croissants or cereals (they rarely eat eggs and bacon in the morning, even on the weekend). And that is why, unless you’re having a very late breakfast, you don’t typically order any milk-related beverage after 11 am.
However, it is allowed (and quite common) to have an espresso, a macchiato (coffee with a few drops of milk) or a corretto (coffee with a tiny bit of grappa or other liquor) after lunch or even after dinner (if you don’t have troubles sleeping)!
- Italians only drink chamomile tea when sick
Although tea is certainly not the most popular drink in Italy, some Italians like to have it in the morning, or in the afternoon, with pastries or a piece of cake, especially during cold days. On warmer days, a hot cup of tea might be replaced with a more refreshing beverage such as tè al limone (cold lemon tea) or tè alla pesca (cold peach tea), with or without ice.
There is however something that Italians only drink when sick, that is, chamomile tea. Many Italians associate the smell of chamomile tea with not feeling well, to the point that they refuse to drink it unless they have a mal di stomaco (stomach ache) or they’re feeling under the weather.
- Italians never go swimming after eating
Every Italian has this indelible childhood memory: a grown-up warning them to wait at least two hours after eating before going for a swim! Italians believe that the water in the sea or swimming pool, especially when it’s cold, can affect your digestion negatively. This belief is taken pretty seriously and there wasn’t much you could say as a kid to convince your parents otherwise. That’s why many Italians spend the afternoon at the beach playing cards, taking a nap, or going for a walk before going for a swim.
- Italians don’t like to eat or drink anything to go
For the same reason why Italian prefer to wait two hours after a meal before swimming, many Italians don’t like to rush their meal (working hours permitting) and eat or drink anything to go, as it can be bad for digestion.
Another related aspect is that meals are traditionally very important moments in Italy, and while it’s not always possible to sit down at the table with your family during the week, taking your time to eat has become a crucial habit for many Italians, who would rather sit down and pause what they’re doing than eat or drink in a rush. This has obviously become a lot more difficult in our current hectic lifestyle, but that’s another story.
- Italians don’t sit with their back to the door, for fear of getting “hit by air”
If you go out to a bar or a café in winter with your Italian friends, you might notice that most of them don’t want to sit next to the door or with their back facing the door. The reason for it? They might get a draft, or, as they would say, un colpo d’aria (which literally means, “hit by air”)!
The colpo d’aria normally affects your neck or throat but also your back, with the result of being stuck in bed for a couple of days or not being able to turn your head or to speak. That is why you’ll see many Italians wearing thick woolly stylish scarves in autumn and winter, as soon as the temperature drops.
- Italians never go outside with wet hair
Getting a colpo d’aria is also responsible for many winter illnesses including “cervicale” (an ailment that causes strong headache and afflicts your cervical vertebrae, which are the little bones in the back of your neck). If you want to avoid it, you’d better dry your hair before going outside! Wet hair plus colpo d’aria is a dangerous combination you might want to stay away from.
- Never break spaghetti ahahahahaha
Back to weird things Italians do (or better, don’t do) involving eating, here’s an important one: never (ever) break spaghetti before putting it into boiling water (if you do so, you might hear the heart of an Italian breaking somewhere in the distance)!
Instead, just wait a few seconds until each piece softens a bit and then push them in the pot with the help of a wooden spoon. By the way, this comes right after the rule of not putting ketchup on your pasta or spaghetti, or never putting pineapple on pizza. Yes, there are quite a few observations Italians like to point out when it comes to food!
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