In the first week of September, when the shop shutters go up, the whole country comes alive at once. And for a few days, there is only one thing everyone wants to talk about: their tan.
chiuso per ferieClosed for the holidays
In Japan, 1 year begins in 4 months. In Italy, it begins in 9 months. To understand why, you first have to know about 8 months. For most of 8 months, Italy is closed. It doesn't just slow down; it closes. Shop shutters are covered with handwritten signs saying chiuso per ferie (closed for the holidays). Factories in the north shut down for 3 to 4 weeks, doctors and plumbers disappear, and the towns belong to tourists and residents who couldn't get away. The whole country heads for the sea or the mountains almost all at once, and returns almost all at once in the first few days of 9 months.
This return is il rientro (the return). No one says they are going back to work. They say rientro, and there is even a special greeting for it. Emails at the beginning of the month start with buon rientro (welcome back), and the first conversation at the bar counter across the country is always the same: Allora, com'è andata? (So, how was it?). They compare tans, show each other photos, and for 1 to 2 days, the espresso comes out just a little bit slower.
Rientro syndrome
Every year on the first Monday of 9 months, the newspapers run the same article as if stamped out: sindrome da rientro (rientro syndrome) — lethargy, low mood, lack of concentration, and a prescription (sleep, sunlight, fruit, and no big meetings in the first week). Half of it is a joke, and half of it is serious. For Italians, holidays are that important, and returning from them is spoken of gently and at length as a minor loss.
9 months are the new 1 months
There is a phrase that has become more and more common: settembre è il nuovo gennaio (September is the new January).
In Italy, people make their New Year's resolutions after the summer. Gyms fill up, diets begin, evening classes open their doors, and new planners are bought.
The calendar agrees. In the first half of the month, the Venice Film Festival opens, F1 arrives in Monza, and Serie A football is already in its 2nd week. And at the end of the month, in Milan, where the summer has just been packed away, Fashion Week showcases next summer's clothes.
Wear your smock to school
Schools reopen in the 2nd or 3rd week of 9, but the date depends on the region, so children in Bolzano start school a week earlier than their cousins in Rome. The youngest children have something like a uniform. In many primary schools (6 to 10 years old), they still wear a grembiule (grembiule = a smock worn over their clothes).
Traditionally, boys wear blue and girls wear pink or white, but the colors vary from school to school. The first day of prima elementare (prima elementare = first grade) is a family event, and grandparents line up at the school gate holding smartphones. And the star of the year is carefully chosen. The diario (diario) — a school planner with football players and cartoon characters on the cover, where all the homework is written down.
There are two things that surprise Japanese parents. One is that many Italian schools run for 6 days a week, from Monday to Saturday, with morning classes only, and children go home for lunch around 1 o'clock. Tempo pieno (tempo pieno = full-time) with lunch and afternoon classes is common in northern cities, but not nationwide. The other is that families buy textbooks from bookstores. That is why every year at the beginning of 9 months, the news reports on il caro libri (il caro libri = expensive textbooks).
Bottling up the last of summer
At the table, 9 months is the richest month in Italy.
Figs, the last tomatoes of summer, table grapes, plums, and peppers all arrive at once, and in the mountains, the first porcini mushrooms appear after the rain.
In the south, the first weekend after the holidays is often reserved for the biggest family ritual of the year. Making la passata (la passata = strained tomato sauce).
The family buys up dozens of boxes of ripe tomatoes, cooks them in the courtyard, strains them, adds a single basil leaf to each jar, fills them, and seals them with a manual capper. 200 to 300 jars in a day. They are stored in the garage or under the stairs, ready to become pasta sauce in 9 months. Grandma is in charge, and the grandchildren are handed the capper.
9 months are the new 1 months
If you ask an Italian when is the best time to go to the sea, the answer is 9 months. The sea is still warm (24 to 26 degrees), the beach clubs are open until mid-month, the prices are lower, and the crowds have returned to their offices. Grandparents stay by the sea with their grandchildren until school starts. Then a quieter ritual awaits: chiusura della casa al mare (chiusura della casa al mare = closing up the seaside home). The family cleans the villa, covers the furniture, closes the shutters, packs a trunk full of tomatoes and the promise to return at Easter, and heads back to town.
To the readers of ITALIAKARA
Think of 9 months as Italy's 4 months:
Schools, work, resolutions, and even the fashion calendar all start anew this month. The Italian school year begins in 9 months and ends in 6, with summer holidays lasting nearly 3 months. That is why rientro is such a big deal. And when you travel, remember the sign saying chiuso per ferie! The Italian shops that close for 3 weeks in 8 months are not struggling; they are on holiday. Their customers are on holiday too.
Items for the rientro mood♪
● Planeta (Sicily) The island's white wine that tastes like summer all year round. Tomatoes, mozzarella, and the last basil.
＼Bubbles by AYA, the trend expert／ Planeta's Chardonnay, which paved the way for the future. The perfect bottle for anyone still feeling the lingering warmth of summer.
● Villa Bucci (Marche) Verdicchio. A perfect match for prosciutto and figs.
＼Trend expert KAZU's recommendation／ As summer ends and autumn begins, it is customary to prepare prosciutto and figs and serve them to friends at a house party. Be sure to enjoy the pairing!
● Feudi di San Gregorio (Campania) Pair a southern white with the first pasta made with fresh passata.
＼ItaliaKara Allie's Recommendation／ As an Italian, even when I'm in Japan, I can really feel the "rientro" in September. That's why I choose a southern white wine for the pasta I make in September to enjoy the lingering traces of summer.
● Lavazza A mocha on the first Monday morning back after the holidays. Rientro starts with coffee.
＼Assistant Sally's Recommendation／ Start your day with a cup of Lavazza. Once your morning routine is set, you'll naturally feel motivated. It's now available for purchase on AMAZON♪
TEXT／ITALIAKARA
※This article was supervised by an expert in Italian culture.
