Living in Italy Cortney Mccall Vivendo in Italia

 Capital = Rome  Religion = predominately Roman Catholic  Government = republic  Language= Italian  Population = 58,057,477

 Shake hands  May include grasping arm with other hand  Not polite to reach over others’ hands  Either person may extend first

 Men  Conservative business suits  Dark colored  Dressing well is a priority

 Women  Business suits  Conservative dresses  Elegant accessories

 Exchanged after formal introduction  Look closely at card in their presence  One side should be in Italian  Make sure your title is on card  Put any degrees you have on there  Most of the time, only in black and white

 Eldest one first  Should get special treatment  Should stand when introduced  Usually do not use professional titles

 Stand until invited to sit down  Do not keep hands in lap  Do not put elbows on the table  Start with a small amount on first serving  Always accept seconds  Follow the lead of the hostess  Ex. she starts eating first, she gets up first, etc.

 If invited to a Italian home:  Informal dress = stylish semi-formal clothing  Punctuality is not mandatory  Invited to a meal:  Bring wine or chocolate as a gift  You may send flowers earlier that day

 Usually opened when received  Do not wrap in certain colors  Purple – bad luck  Black- mourning  Do not give yellow or red flowers  Indicate jealousy and secrecy  Always bring a gift if invited to dine

 My parents backpacked it  I love Italian food  Very pretty place  Culture is very different than ours

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