Learn words and expressions about Winter in Italian
L’inverno (Winter) doesn’t officially arrive in Italy until the 15th December, although its presence can be felt a lot earlier than that. In many parts of the country nevica (it snows) as early as November, a great start for those who want to sciare (ski) but not so great for motorists stuck on the motorway for hours on end.
It’s probably children rather than adults who look forward to Winter, however. As well as the obvious delights of Babbo Natale (Father Christmas), there are lots of other things to godersi (enjoy). The 8th December is a religious public holiday for Ponte dell’ Immacolata (the Immaculate Conception), then schools close for at least two weeks for Natale (christmas) and Capodanno (New Year). A lot of families also spend a week on holiday in January or February - La settimana bianca (white week) - usually spent in montagna (in the mountains).
Winter is also a great time to visit Italy, in particular the period leading up to Christmas. The streets and buildings are covered in twinkling lights and most cities have mercatini di natale (christmas markets) to get last minute regali (presents).
As in other seasons, winter is also reflected through the food that is eaten at this time of the year. Supermarkets are full of tempting delicacies for Christmas - salmone affumicato (smoked salmon) and dateri (dates) - but also the staples of the period: legumi e cereali (beans and pulses), cotechini (big fattening sausages) and vegetables such as carciofi (artichokes), cavolfiori (cauliflower) and finocchi (fennel)
But it’s not all good news. Winter is dreaded by some as it brings notti lunghe e buie (long dark nights). As elsewhere, l’influenza e il raffreddore (flu and colds) are common. Le bollette (household bills) can be huge at this time of the year as people turn on their riscaldamento (central heating). Fortunately, December is also the month when employees receive their tredicesima (’thirteenth salary’), the yearly bonus which softens the blow of this expensive time of the year.
