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Tuesday, November 28, 2023
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| The Italians who came to Canada brought
with them the language, customs, the music, and religious traditions. |
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Family |
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Family is very important
for Italians. The adjustments that the first generation of immigrants
made sometimes had devastating results. They became neither Italian
nor
Canadian. The second generation combined the aspects of both cultures
and lifestyles. The third and the fourth generations became more
Canadian than Italian. |
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Visiting |
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Visiting friends and relatives is very
popular among the Italians. Intricate networks of friendship and
fellowship are developed as they share their joys and their sorrows.
To learn more about the italian culture, visit "traveletiquette"
which offers essentiel etiquette advice and information for
worldwide travel.
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Language |
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The first difficulty that the Italian immigrants
faced in Canada was the inability to understand or speak the English
language. Of course, they did not feel the need of English when
they lived inside Little Italies. Those who went outside the community
needed knowledge of the English language. In order to bridge the
gap between Italian and English, the new immigrants developed a
language called Italiese, which gave Italian structure
to the English language. |
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Food and Wine |
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Italy has 20 regions, and each region
has its own traditional food and wine. Italian food does not consist
of only pizza and spaghetti, and the menu is as varied as the Italian
regions.
Italians use a variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, eggplants,
onions, garlic, peas, pepper in their cuisine. Italian food and
wine are well known
in Canada
and North America.
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Music
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Italians love music. Music is part
of their lives. They enjoy it at holidays, family celebrations,
and special occasions. Opera, an Italian tradition, is popular
among Italians
and they continued this musical tradition when they immigrated
to Canada.
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Religion |
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The majority of Italians are Roman
Catholics. When they immigrated, they brought their religious traditions
to Canada with them. They began to build churches, where they
would pray to God, but the churches also served as a place where
they could meet, help each other and share their traditions. They
held
Italian
classes
inside the churches' halls, where their children could learn and preserve
the language. Italians set up the Catholic schools too, where the
Italian children would learn their religion and their culture.
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Wedding and Baptism Ceremonies
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The Italians make a wonderful celebration
of their weddings and baptism ceremonies. They usually rent a hall,
have music, dancing, special pastries, cordials, and wines.
A church ceremony is usually followed by a reception. Christening
ceremonies are very special, as well, usually followed by receptions
held in halls or at home.
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Funerals |
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The Italian funerals, as the
final act of love provided for those that pass away,
are particularly moving. Candles remain lit throughout the
wake. Relatives
and friends participate in the wake, say prayers in front of the casket
and offer condolences to the family. Preparation for the burial
usually includes a church Mass attended by family and friends who afterwards
accompany the deceased to his final resting place.
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The
opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada. |
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