Colors of Elba Island - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

People in Elba as in other regions of Italy, like communicating with others. We don’t talk about a couple of common words, but about a full acquaintance. So if you want to improve your Italian or just want to have an interesting conversation, you won’t be disappointed. Just keep in mind that Italians are expressive, they gesture a lot and raise their voices when talking. There’s no conflict, they just express emotions. You should also remember that for the local people the most important thing is to enjoy life in all its aspects and not an aspiration for wealth. Probably, this is the reason for the total absence of punctuality. A shop that is supposed to be opened at 9 a.m. may still be closed at 10 or 11 a.m. and siesta can start at noon instead of 1-2 p.m. The delay of public transport is also a common practice.

It is interesting that in Elba there is a popular “one-beep-call” tradition when a recipient doesn’t have an opportunity to pick up the phone. Here it is a sign of attention, some kind of “hi, I remember about you”. Remember that it’s totally normal for Italian men to scratch their genitals on the street, but it is inappropriate to comb your hair in public. Most of the islanders are avid Catholics, and religion plays an important role in their lives. However, they are also quite superstitious, respect folk omens, believe in horoscopes and psychics.

It is quite common for the Italians to live with their parents till they are 30-40 years old. They get married late, mostly because divorce here is difficult and expensive. The family is the most important thing in the life of every Italian. There are many traditional Italian family businesses in Elba, where they pass it from generation to generation. Interestingly, there is mostly matriarchy in families, but men will never admit it. For every citizen in Elba “bella figura” or “keeping the façade” is important. It is not common here to go shopping, wearing a dress that does not match a shopping bag, and to go outside in something that you wear inside is out of the question. “Façade” plays an important role not only in the choice of cloth. This is mostly the reason, why the Italians behave as the masters of life. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

It is common here to admire women despite their age and appearance. And they do it honestly. Remember that for people in Elba politeness is very important, so don’t hesitate to apologize first, even if it wasn’t your fault. A simple apology and an accidental encounter turns into the exchange of compliments. An interesting pattern is that even though alcohol in Italy is consumed everywhere and almost throughout the whole day, there are not many drunk people on the streets and lack of control of your own behavior raises serious irritation.

People in Elba like to party and they know how to. On May 5th they celebrate the Day of Napoleon Bonaparte, who had lived on the island for several years. After the festive service, the costume procession goes from The Church of Mercy to the Villa Mulini. On July 14th in Capoliveri commune, they celebrate Maria’s love for Lorenzo. According to the legend, five centuries ago a girl called Maria jumped into the water after a pirates’ sheep, where her loved one was kept a prisoner. On Saint Chiara’s Day on August 12th you can see a great firework, and at the beginning of September in Capoliveri commune there is a wine and harvest festival with music, sketches, and certainly wine tasting. There is also Jazz Festival on the island in September. Last weekend in Poggio and Marciana they celebrate The Chestnut Day, when you can try different dishes from this nut. Besides that, all important Catholic dates are celebrated widely on the island. From Christmas till New Year in the capital of the island there is a series of celebratory events, called “Christmas week”.