Calabrisella Mia

If you are travelling to Italy in the month of August, it’s not uncommon to see many businesses closed. Most Italians take their vacation in August and as a result, most of the country shuts down for pretty much the whole month.

Ferragosto is a big Italian holiday celebrated on August 15th. The Italians love to live life to the fullest so don’t be too surprised to see celebrations go on for days (sometimes a week before and after the 15th). At that time, you can find many festivals, fairs, music, and dancing in various towns in Italy.

August has always been the best time of the year for me to travel to Italy. Carpanzano is a very small town in the southern part of Italy with a population in and around 300 people. When August rolls around the town doubles…sometimes triples in size. Family and friends from all over Italy (and the world) return to Carpanzano to take in the warm weather and good times. As a result, this is the best time to see family (immediate and extended) in one place…almost like a big fat family reunion! 🙂

I am looking forward to Ferragosto in Carpanzano this summer. I remember vividly the late nights in August. A live band playing traditional Calabrese folk music and everyone dancing and laughing with no cares in the world. To be honest, I don’t know how much has changed over the years but I look forward to celebrating Ferragosto with my family…maybe this year I will finally learn to do the tarantella.

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