Posts tagged with "Italian calendar"

Marzo

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Mar 3 2011

The name of the month marzo (March) comes from the Roman god of the war Mars.

Principali Festività (Main Festivals):

On the 8th of March we celebrate la Giornata Internazionale della Donna (International Woman’s Day), also known as La Festa della Donna (Woman’s Festival). In March 2009 I wrote an article about the origins and traditions of this festival. You can read all about it here: http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-festa-della-donna-e-la-mimosa/

The 19th of March is dedicated to San Giuseppe sposo di Maria (Saint Joseph husband of Mary), and on this day we celebrate La Festa del Papà (Father’s Day).

The 21st of March marks the beginning of La Primavera (Spring), and some towns celebrate this date with un falò (a big bonfire), which symbolizes the end of winter.

Carnevale (Carnival), being linked to Easter, doesn’t have a fixed date. The last week of Carnival is called la Settimana Grassa (lit. the Fat Week). Giovedì Grasso (Fat Thursday), which this year falls on Thursday the 3rd of March, marks the beginning of  La Settimana Grassa, which ends on Martedì Grasso (Shrove Tuesday, lit. Fat Tuesday), the 8th.

Wednesday the 9th of March, Mercoledì delle Ceneri (Ash Wednesday) marks the end of festivities and the beginning of Quaresima (Lent), which is (or was in ‘ye goode olde days’!) the period of forty days of penance used as a physical and spiritual preparation for Easter.

This year we’re going to have an extra holiday, La Festa dei 150 anni dell’Unità d’Italia (Italy’s 150th Unification Anniversary), which will fall on Thursday the 17th of March. I’ll write about this in a future article.

Tradizioni (Traditions):

The last three days of March are called "I Giorni della Vecchia" (The old woman’s days) or "Giorni imprestati" (borrowed days). Once upon a time, according to an old legend, March had only twenty eight days. On the last day of the month an old woman, already anticipating the warmth of Spring, decided to take her sheep out to the fields. As she was going she said, in a mocking way: "March, you can’t do me any more harm because it’s already April!". March was very offended by her words, so he asked April if he could borrow three days from him, which he used to punish the old woman with an extra spell of winter weather.

Detti (Sayings):

Traditionally the month of March is characterized by very unstable weather, so much so that we use the expression "esser nato di marzo" (to be born in March) to describe a very inconstant, whimsical person, and there are many proverbs which refer to the instability of the weather in March. The other common characteristic of March detti (sayings) is their reference to the main agricultural jobs such as the work on la vigna (the vine).


Marzo pazzerello, c’è il sole, prendi l’ombrello Crazy March, it’s sunny, take the umbrella
Marzo: un sole e un guazzo March: a sun and a shower
Non c’è marzo così bello senza neve sul cappello There is not such a beautiful March without snow on your hat
A marzo, pur con il tempo bello, non uscire senza l’ombrello In March, even with nice weather, don’t go out without the umbrella
Sole di marzo, onda di mare, pianto di donna non ti fidare Do not trust the March sun, the sea wave, a woman’s crying
San Giuseppe vecchierello, ancora fuoco e mantello Old St.Joseph, keep the fire and the cape (on the 21st of March is still cold!)
Fine di marzo, primi di aprile, ancora freddo può venire End of March, beginning of April, more cold can still come
Vento di marzo, odore di primavera Wind of March, smell of Spring
Al primo tuono di marzo, la serpe esce dal balzo At the first thunder of March, the snake comes out of the crag
Marzo tinge e april dipinge March stains and April paints
A marzo taglia e pota, se non vuoi la botte vuota In March cut and prune, if you don’t want an empty barrel
Ramo corto, vendemmia lunga Short branch, long grape harvest
Per la Vergine Annunziata, la vigna sia preparata For the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (25th of March), the vine must be ready
Marzo asciutto, ricco frutto Dry March, rich fruit

I Mesi dell’Anno

Posted by Serena No Comments
Jan 27 2009

I mesi dell’anno (the months of the year) have very similar names in most cultures that use the Giuliano (Julian) and Gregoriano (Gregorian) calendar. In the first century B.C. Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar, giving it its familiar structure of 365 days (366 every fourth year which is known as an anno bisestile), divided into 12 months. Apart from minor changes which were introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregorio XIII, the calendario Giuliano (Julian calendar) is still used today. This explains the fact that the names of the months are all derived from Latin and most of them refer to Roman gods or emperors. In Italian we have many proverbs and expressions that describe the characteristics of almost every month.

Gennaio (January) was the month governed by Janus, Roman god of gates and beginnings, who is depicted with faces on both the front and back of his head;

febbraio (February) comes from the Latin word februa, a purification feast held by the Romans during this month. There is a proverb which says: febbraio febbraietto, corto e maledetto (February little February, short and cursed);

marzo (March) was dedicated to Marte (Mars), god of spring and fertility as well as war. As the weather in this month is often very unpredictable the proverb goes: marzo pazzerello, c’e’ il sole, prendi l’ombrello (crazy March, it’s sunny, get the umbrella), and when speaking of a person who is particularly inconsistent we often say: e’ nato di marzo (he/she was born in March);

aprile (April): the origins of its name are uncertain, there are however many proverbs for this gentle warm month, the most famous being aprile, dolce dormire (April, sweet sleep/drowsiness), which describes so well the desire to lay down in the first warmth of the sun and sleep. But beware of the sudden changes in temperature typical of spring: d’aprile non ti scoprire (in April don’t uncover yourself). For the farmers and wine lovers the proverb goes d’aprile ogni goccia un barile (in April each drop is a barrel, meaning that April’s rain is good for the vines);

maggio (May) was dedicated to Maia, mother of Mercury and goddess of fertility and fields. In May nature is blossoming, and bella come un maggio (beautiful like a May) is the compliment we use for a young beauty. In the Roman Catholic church maggio is dedicated to the Madonna, and fare il mese di maggio (lit. to do the month of May) means to participate in the daily religious functions and prayers that are held in this month, in particular il rosario (the rosary);

giugno (June) comes from Juno, goddess of marriage and wife of Jupiter, she governs the seasons. This is the month of harvests: giugno, la falce in pugno (June, the sickle in the fist);

luglio (July) is named after Julius Caesar, born in this month. From this the sunniest and warmest month of the year, when the solleone (lit. lion’s sun) dominates nature, comes the expression vendere il sol di luglio (literally ‘to sell July’s sun’, meaning to make something that is common and abundant appear to be rare or precious );

agosto (August) was dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. In this month the rising full moon appears rounder and reddish on the horizon, that is why we use the expression tondo come la luna d’agosto (round like the August moon) to describe someone with a particularly round face. Agosto is also the time of the first rains that bring relief from the solleone and create the right conditions for wild mushrooms to grow: la prima acqua d’agosto rinfresca il mare e il bosco (The first August rain refreshes the sea and the woods);

settembre (September), from Latin septem (seven), was the 7th month of the Roman calendar which, unlike the modern one, started in March. In September you can savor fichi (figs) and uva (grapes), i frutti settembrini (September’s fruits);

ottobre (October), from Latin octo (eight), was the 8th month of the Roman calendar. As the weather is often very pleasant you can enjoy una ottobrata, an October’s outing in the countryside;

novembre (November), from Latin novem (nine), was the 9th month of the Roman calendar, and is marked by the nebbie novembrine (November’s fogs);

dicembre (December), from Latin decem (ten), was, guess what? Yes the 10th month of the Roman calendar!

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