Monday, December 7, 2009
About Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers 301,338 km2 and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60,157,214 inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country in Europe, and the twenty-third most populous in the world.
The land known as Italy today has been the cradle of European cultures and peoples, such as the Etruscans and the Romans. Italy's capital, Rome, was for centuries the political center of Western civilization, as the capital of the Roman Empire. After its decline, Italy would endure numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Normans and later, the Byzantines, among others. Centuries later, Italy would become the birthplace of the Renaissance[5], an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the course of European thought. Through much of its post-Roman history, Italy was fragmented into numerous kingdoms and city-states (such as the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the duchy of Milan), but was unified in 1861, a tumultuous period in history known as the "Risorgimento". In the late 19th century, through World War I, and to World War II, Italy possessed a colonial empire, which extended its rule to Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somalialand, Ethiopia, Albania, Rhodes, Dodecaneses and the Tientsin part of China.[7] Italy was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.
Modern Italy is a democratic republic and a developed country with the eighth-highest quality of life index rating in the world.[8] Italy enjoys a high standard of living, and is the world's 18th most developed country.[9] It is a founding member of what is now the European Union, having signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957, and it is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is a member of the G8 and G20, having the world's seventh-largest nominal GDP, and is also a member state of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Council of Europe, and the Western European Union. It has the world's eight-largest defence budget and shares NATO's nuclear weapons. Italy, especially Rome, has a major global impact in politics and culture, with worldwide organizations such as FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization),[10] International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Glocal Forum,[11] World Food Programme (WFT), and the NATO Defence College being headquartered in the country and the city. The country's European political, social and military influence make it a major regional power, alongside the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Russia.[12][13][14][15][16] The country has a high public education level, high labour force,[17] high charitability,, is a globalised nation[19], and also has 2009's sixth best international reputation.. Italy also has the world's 19th highest life expectancy, after New Zealand and Bermuda.
Italy holidays
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BUONA PASQUA
EPIPHANY
Celebrated on the sixth of January, it originally began as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, and is still celebrated as that in the Eastern Orthodox Church. However, when the Catholic Church decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25th instead, the meaning of the holiday changed. Greek for "miracle," Epiphany came to be known as a celebration of three important events that took place early in Jesus' life: his visit with the three magi, his baptism by John the Baptist, and the first miracle he performed at the wedding in Cana.
In Rome, Epiphany has evolved into a celebration of the end of the Christmas season, the literal Twelfth Day of Christmas. Children wake up to find presents from the Befana, an ancient Santa Claus-like figure whose name means "giver of gifts" and appears as a friendly old witch who rides through the air on a broomstick, dropping through chimneys to fill stockings up with toys and candy. The entire family then ventures out to take part in a giant street fair, where they buy more gifts, usually earthenware products.
LIBERATION DAY
Celebrated on April 25th, it commemorates the liberation of Italy by Allied troops in the Second World War. The holiday is meant to honor all those who died during the war, from soldiers fighting overseas to civilian victims of Allied bombings and atrocities committed during Nazi Germany's bitter retreat from its former ally's territory. The lives of those who served as partisans in the Italian Resistance are especially honored.
MAY DAY
May 1st is Labor Day for most of the world. In Italy, it is not just a workers holiday, but a day for political parties of the left to hit the streets and protest their various causes. The atmosphere is usually festive, like one big street fair, however protests can sometimes get carried away and become a little too rowdy.
FESTIVAL OF THE REPUBLIC
June 2nd marks the day in 1946 when Italy voted in a referendum to abolish the monarchy and become a republic. Support for the monarchy had plunged because the king of Italy had supported Mussolini. So hostile was the public, that the royal family was exiled from Italy forever as punishment.
FERRAGOSTO
Next to Christmas, Easter, and New Years, Ferragosto is one of the most celebrated holidays in Italy. Celebrated on the fifteenth of August, it celebrates the rise of Mary up to heaven to join her son Jesus, taking her place by his side to look after those of us remaining here on Earth. It is a day of great festivities with celebrations in the streets and prayers to the Virgin Mary for thanks and support. All of Italy shuts down to celebrate Ferragosto.
ALL SAINTS DAY
The festival of All Saints takes place on November 2nd. It is celebrated in honor of all the Catholic saints and martyrs, known and unknown. It is also a time to reflect on those who have passed in general, a Memorial Day of sorts.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th is generally a Holy Day of Obligation. The faithful are required to attend Mass, where they commemorate when Mary was graced by God to lead a life completely free of sin.
FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN
The Feast of St. Stephen is celebrated on December 26th, the day after Christmas. It is part of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and marks the day of St. Stephen, the first martyr for the newborn king.
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