Ferragosto in Italia!
August 15th is a national holiday in Italy and is the official start to the summer holiday Ferragosto. The cities empty out and the beaches fill up!
Ferragosto, which coincides with the Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary, is a holiday that goes back to Roman emperor Augustus’ time.
In 18 BC, Augustus introduced the 'Feriae Augusti' to provide a longer period of rest after the harvest which was a time of intense agricultural labor. Several festivals took place during the month of August to celebrate the harvest.
The popular tradition of taking a trip during Ferragosto was introduced with the Fascist regime. In the latter part of the 1920's, the regime's recreational organizations began organizing hundreds of trips setting up the "People's Trains of Ferragosto" which provided discounted prices to less affluent people and gave them opportunity to travel to other parts of Italy and to spend time at mountain and beach side resorts.
The tradition has continued to this day and Ferragosto has become a celebration of summer !
Buon Ferragosto!
P.S. Here's a link to Jovanotti's Estate (Summer) which is the perfect soundtrack for Ferragosto! https://youtu.be/nnTXpoc5VlU
