Italy’s festivals and holidays all year round showcase their heritage, culture, and the way they exhibit their love for nature. The country is brimming with vivid expressions, culinary delights, exquisite art, creative floral carpets, and history.
Their local festivals and national holidays offer a fun experience, and also a great exposure to their culture. Like other countries, flowers play a crucial role in Italian culture, as this country possesses paradisaic landscapes and a wide range of flora.
Having a rich history in floriculture, Italians make use of their national flowers for all of their religious festivals and holidays. You can also send flowers to Italy on a special occasion to show your affection and love.
Why Flowers are an Eminent Part of Italian Culture?
Italy is renowned for its spectacular range of flora, with the most popular among them being roses, lilies, daisies, tulips, peonies, iris, lavender, poppies, sunflowers, etc. While contributing to Italy’s lush landscapes, these flowers have symbolic meanings.
The blooms with sweet fragrances and timeless beauty express endless love, desire, grief, joy, new beginnings, and hope. There are specific flowers for specific occasions.
For example, lilies are the most sought-after flowers for weddings as they are believed to bring happiness and good luck to the couple. Moreover, sunflowers are given on a variety of occasions as they signify loyalty, longevity, and happiness.
Italy’s Religious Festivals and Holidays, and its Love for Flowers
Here are some of the Italian holidays and festivals that use flowers in a remarkable way:
Easter Sunday or Pasqua and Easter Monday or Pasquetta
Easter holidays usually fall on either March or April, depending on the year. Since it is a joyous holiday celebrating Jesus Christ’s resurrection, flowers play a huge role as they symbolize joy, rebirth, and hope.
In Italy, tulips, lilies, daffodils, and hyacinths are usually given to loved ones. Besides flowers, families unite for lunch and Easter treats like large chocolate eggs, ring cakes, and dove-shaped cakes.
Sanremo Flower Festival
February is the best time to enjoy Sanremo’s lush gardens. The City of Flowers is a spectacle exhibiting Liguria’s horticultural wealth. Every February, this town celebrates its magnificent flora. Locals participate in the festivities by creating the most spectacular flower floats to win the award.
Ferragosto or Assumption of the Virgin
Ferragosto is an ancient summer holiday originally celebrated by Emperor Augustus. This holiday was given to take rest after conducting the strenuous job of harvesting. Floral garlands adorning the beasts of burden were a tradition. However, it was later adopted by the Catholic Church.
Celebrated on August 15, it is a Catholic holiday that commemorates the Virgin Mary’s ascent to heaven after her death. Many people have a day off or an entire week off. It is one of the biggest holidays of the year, where friends and family go for day trips and beach vacations.
Column of the Immaculate Conception
The beginning of the Christmas holiday season starts from here, where people decorate their homes and Christmas trees. This Catholic holiday, celebrated on December 8th, is about commemorating a Catholic belief that Mary was born sinless. White roses, indicating purity, are usually given on this day.
Christmas Day or Natale
This religious holiday, celebrated on December 25th, is a day when people decorate homes and illuminate buildings and trees. It is one of the most important holidays, when everything is closed except the churches.
Moreover, the bright red star-shaped flower called Christmas Star, Poinsettia, or Stella di Natale is given and used for decor. The Christmas Star indicates Jesus’ sacrifice, so it is the most popular floral decoration during Christmas Day. Other Christmas flowers include red roses and amaryllis.
Bottom line
Flowers have a strong connection with the religious and historical roots, and they foster bonding between the residents and local artisans to showcase the country’s heritage worldwide. Italy has a lot of national holidays, local events, and festivities that combine communities in happy and joyous times.