Languages News - Italian

Buon Ferragosto!

This weekend the beaches of Italy will be blanketed with Italian holiday makers celebrating Ferragosto.

Italy marks the National Holiday of Ferragosto each year on August 15. 

Italians take to the beaches and the mountains for summer holidays to escape the heat. Banks, stores and public offices are all closed. Italian families tend to take their holidays over this festive period, and many cafes, restaurants (particularly the smaller, family-run establishments) often are closed. Ferragosto festivities often feature large gatherings of family and friends around the dining table, street festivals, beach parties, fireworks, musical concerts, dances, and of course lots of eating.

The origins of ferragosto go back to Ancient Rome to the time of Rome's first emperor, Octavian Augustus. In 18 BCE, Augustus imposed the feriae Augusti (Latin for "Augustus’ rest"). Augustus proclaimed the 1 August a day of rest to recover from the long harvest season. During the Renaissance, the Catholic Church wanted to make the secular August holiday fall on a religious feast day, so ferragosto was moved to August 15 in order to celebrate the assumption of the Virgin Mary. 

Buon Ferragosto!

Joyce Conidoni

Languages (Italian) Coordinator