travel, sicily, italy

The practices, festivals, and beliefs of any society don’t just come out of nowhere. They are shaped by history – what a society has undergone in the past. Understanding the Sicilian culture is imperative for people that are planning to live in Sicily. While foreigners and non-locals who have been living in Sicily may have come to understand why Sicilians act or celebrate festivals the way they do, those who still foresee a life in Sicily may be unaccustomed to them.

One habit that you may notice of Sicilians is that they are very conservative when it comes to water consumption so make sure to keep that in mind when you are seeing all of the Sicily tourist attractions. But this ecologically-friendly habit of theirs wasn’t sparked by the people’s concern for nature. Rather, it stems from Sicily’s history. Before the 1950s, Sicily had no plumbing system. Their existing water pipes either functioned poorly or did not give out any water at all. Sicilians valued every drop that came out of their spigots and spouts, placing bowls under them in case one or two drops would fall off. They even reused their water just to finish daily chores.

You might also notice that Sicilians generously use their hands to signal gestures, haven’t seen that on when you travel the world have you? Even though this may seem like a genetic trait, it also is a result of history. Sicily used to be a free nation – just like most societies in the world. Since they were colonized by the Greeks though, they have undergone a series of ruling under different nations before finally becoming free again. And since then, they have been using hand gestures with the belief that it could help them resist foreign rule.

Then there’s also La Befana, a popular character in Sicily that resembles the ever-popular Santa Claus. Sicilians believed that La Befana was an old woman who rejected the offer of the Three Kings to join them in their quest to offer gifts to Christ. Eventually, she regretted her decision and has since then been traveling the earth during Epiphany to give gifts to good children and coal to bad children.