Italians tend to view time differently, which can present challenges for visitors from non-European nations.
Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and switches over to Daylight Savings Time on the last Sunday in March before switching back on again on October’s last Sunday.
Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting clocks ahead by one hour in summertime and back again at standard time in autumn. DST typically runs from the last Sunday in March through to the last Sunday in October; in some locations this date varies year to year. North Americans often refer to Daylight Saving Time by its North American acronym of “spring forward, fall back”, which helps remind them when this shift takes place. DST may affect travel schedules such as airlines, trains and cruise ships which operate according to international schedules rather than local ones.
DST remains a contentious subject; many see it as an energy waster while others see health and safety benefits in it. Debates over its implementation in Italy are especially heated; opinion differs on whether to cancel DST altogether.
Recent polling indicates that Italians were divided over this issue; 56% wanted to retain daylight savings time (DST), while 47% desired its discontinuation permanently. Similar polling revealed similar results across European nations: Germans were most opposed to keeping DST in effect (75% opposed). French and British citizens, on the other hand, seemed evenly split with both groups supporting keeping DST around half.
Italy will maintain DST this year despite ongoing debate; clocks will advance by one hour on 29-30 October night before returning back to standard time at 3am on 31 October morning.
Roberto Cingolani, Italy’s Minister for Ecological Transition, strongly supported DST during a debate at parliament. He noted its benefits — although only minor — should not be underestimated and claimed it has enabled state to save money on electricity consumption, leading to lower bills for Italian families.
Cingolani asserted that Daylight Saving Time should remain in effect going forward, noting how its benefits for both families and CO2 emissions reduction make the DST system essential. He further suggested coordinating it with EU states in order to avoid difficulties associated with cross-border trade.
Clocks
Timekeeping is an invaluable skill, whether you’re jet-lagged and struggling to reach your first class train ride, or trying to get to that gelateria before they close their doors. In Italy, telling time can even be considered an art form!
Italians use only 24-hour clock formats instead of using 12 hour timeslots like many countries do; their system is known as orario a sei giorni and dates back to 14th century when humanist Petrarch praised Milan’s new public clocks that divided each day into four cycles of six hours each day.
Italians use the verb essere conjugated into its third-person singular form e, or third-person plural sono to refer to a specific hour of their day. After adding le, followed by the number of the hour they wish to refer to, this structure can also be extended up until midnight where noun ore(hours) becomes implicit in these cases.
As you become fluent with Italian, you’ll quickly become acquainted with its language of minutes. To discuss a minute in Italian, simply spell out its number followed by del pomeriggio or dopo (dela or after). For instance: 20:00pm is del pomeriggio in Italian.
To obtain accurate readings, it’s helpful to have both an analog watch with minute hand and an atomic radio that allows one to check GMT or UTC times. These items are commonly available at major tourist spots as well as department stores and grocery chains.
Italy operates on standard time, which puts them six hours ahead of the United States. When Daylight Saving Time commences in spring and fall, they too switch. To learn more about these dates of change please see our blog post about The Differences Between US & European Time Zones; Italy can be identified using its IANA Time Zone ID: Europe/Rome
Holidays
Vacationing in Italy provides an intimate insight into its rich cultural and religious history. From touring the Sistine Chapel at Vatican to enjoying delicious pizza in Naples or witnessing an eye-opening Nativity play in Matera, holidays provide a chance to fully immerse oneself into Italian culture.
Italy observes many national and religious holidays as public holidays; however, travelers should be mindful that local celebrations can alter business and restaurant hours. Museums may still remain open, though may be less crowded than normal.
Christmas, which holds great religious significance to Italy’s majority Catholic population, is its most beloved holiday. Beginning December 8, Feast of the Seven Fishes, celebrations reach their pinnacle on Christmas Eve when families enjoy family feasting (with traditional dishes like baccala) before attending midnight Mass on Christmas day itself. On January 6th is dedicated to the Three Wise Men who visited Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – cities such as Florence hold re-enactments featuring horses and costumed figures dressed up like King figures to commemorate this special event day.
Easter is an official public holiday and as such can bring huge crowds into churches. For an intimate experience, try visiting smaller churches or villages instead, as well as checking local Comune diaries to see if any live reenactments of Christ’s Passion are taking place nearby.
Christmas Day itself is an official public holiday; however, many Italians also view the week between Christmas and New Year’s as an extended winter break, giving themselves multiple days off work or school. Therefore, some restaurants, stores and other businesses will remain closed during this week.
Ferragosto was historically celebrated on 1 August; however, its date was altered during Renaissance Italy to commemorate Mary’s Assumption on 15 August. Under Mussolini’s regime, however, this holiday became a three-day weekend; nowadays most Italians take off all month for vacation purposes! On November 1, All Saints Day/Epiphany or La Befana occurs, when it is customary to lay out treats for three visiting witches; like Halloween in America this has secular and religious roots as well.
Traditions
Italy is an intriguing mix of timeless traditions, quirky customs and peculiar superstitions that date back centuries. Although not the largest country in Europe, Italy boasts an extraordinary range of cultures and dialects; beach days to exploding carts – here are some unexpected Italian customs you may not be aware of before traveling there!
Italy, for instance, loves fireworks and often use them during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Additionally, Italians believe it to be good luck to wear red underwear on New Year’s and not doing so will bring bad fortune throughout the year.
Another New Year’s tradition involves eating sausages prepared with pork trotters and lentils to usher in prosperity in the New Year, along with dried fruit and grapes as a meal accompaniment. Italians living in southern regions of their country also practice throwing broken dishes out an upstairs window in order to banish bad luck and ensure success for themselves and others in 2019.
History speaks for itself – Italian culture has had an enormous influence around the globe. Legendary artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo helped shape its art world, while opera remains an integral part of Italian life across many cities in Italy.
Italians are known for being family-oriented people and the relationship with their parents plays an essential part of each individual’s life. Young adults may continue living at home with them well into their 30s or even later if possible; this allows them to build a solid network of friends while receiving advice in times of trouble from both sides of their family unit.
Italians place great value on their appearance. Women and girls often wear skirts or dresses when going out, while men usually opt for pants paired with shoes, bags and accessories to complete their ensemble. Older generations tend to pay close attention to fashion; this may not always be seen among younger generations.