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Bead Makers Blog

Hail Augustus!

Written by Tim James

Sunday, 23 August 2009 13:51

August in Italy (and the weeks immediately before and after) means the Ferragosto holidays. Officially celebrated on 15 August, Ferragosto is a day when more shops are closed, per capita, than on Christmas. Unofficially it is when shops and businesses of all kinds are commonly closed for up to a months time. State-run offices switch to bare-minimum only schedules or close all together. Even the tourist industry businesses run on bare bones schedules immediately before and after the holiday itself.

A piece of advice: Unless you are seeking empty streets and closed stores fronts, don't visit Italy in August. There are times in August when finding an Italian in the heart of the city feels like a challenge. Each year I'm amazed at the number of tourists in town despite warnings found in any respectable guide book. I think that it is hard for non-Italians to imagine just how seriously locals take Ferragosto. Coming from the states, I can certainly understand their surprise, I mean how can they be closing during the height of the travel season? A month?! How can any business close for a month every year??

We have, I do believe, hit on one of the many reasons why I love living here: Priorities. Italians, by and large, are more apt to take the time to stop and smell the roses, whether it be by spending vast amounts of time with friends and family at the sea in August or by stopping and chatting with a friend, even if 20 people are held up in line because of it. I like that, even if I am one of those 20 people.

Where do all the locals go? Al mare - To the sea. When learning Italian, it is one of the first phrases you begin to hear, and not just in summertime. Heading off to the sea, and talking about going, is discussed year-round. Since Italy is surrounded on 3-sides by water, it does make sense. The sea is never too far away, no matter where you are!

What does Ferragosto mean for the good folks at BeadedLily? Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. First and foremost I love it as an integral and traditional part of the Italian mindset. Pre-dating Roman Catholicism itself, Ferragosto has been celebrated since BC times. I love the single-mindedness that surrounds Ferragosto, an event shared by all of us because each of us will be, without a doubt, affected by it. I enjoy the celebratory factor of bidding farewell to people as the head off al mare for the month, and the individual celebrations post-Ferragosto as the city begins to fill once again with the familiar faces, now tanned, that make up ones day. I also relish the amount of parking that is available in August. It is literally like a dream; The best spots available all day and all night for a month. I also appreciate, in the beginning anyway, the peacefulness of a relatively empty city. It's just so tranquil.

The flip-side, however, is that it can be quite difficult from a business point-of-view. For at least a week before and a good week after August it is impossible to get things done. The week prior means people are already in vacation mode and are reluctant to accept new work. You begin to hear talk of work needing to wait until September more and more frequently as you work your way through July. Immediately after August is the re-settling in period when folks just aren't yet ready to seriously get down to it.

I'm also not a big fan of the last 10 days or so of the month. You have to understand, I'm a man of routine. Ferragosto puts the kibosh on that routine. At first it's somewhat charming, needing to go to different bars for coffee in the morning, but towards the end of the month it is just annoying. Never being certain what will be open and what won't becomes annoying. Not being able to get light bulbs at the local guy down the street becomes annoying.

As I write this, on 23 August, I'm just entering the annoyance phase. It's very hot, and has been very hot for some time. Lily and I closed the store for a week over Ferragosto and went to visit friends in the Tuscan countryside near Lucca for a number of days. That vacation, however, is now over and we are back to the regular work schedule, despite the temperature. Our daughter, who is back from 3 weeks visiting friends and family in the states, is now staying out all night and sleeping all day for the remainder of the month...

While far be it from me to complain, I do have to say: Bring on September with its fixed schedules and cooler weather!

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