Good-natured, open, and cheerful Italians appreciate food and relaxation, don’t deny themselves small pleasures, don’t rush to grow up, and generally aren’t in a hurry. We’ll explore these and other aspects of the typical Italian lifestyle.

1. Eat on schedule
For Italians, eating isn’t just a way to satisfy hunger, but a true enjoyment of life. Mealtimes in this country are treated almost like a sacred ritual. It’s hard to imagine a local casually snacking on a hamburger or rushing over a cup of coffee.

2. Start the day with coffee
Italian food culture is closely intertwined with a love of coffee. Starting in the morning, Italians typically enjoy a cup of this invigorating beverage. At breakfast, they prefer to add milk to their coffee, but as soon as the clock strikes 11:00, the word “coffee” becomes synonymous with “espresso.” A truly authentic Italian would never pour the aromatic beverage into a huge glass – coffee is sipped from miniature cups in cozy coffee shops or brewed at home.

3. Living with Mom until 40
In Italy, individual life stages unfold at a somewhat leisurely pace: education can continue until age 35 without much stress, and careers are most often considered after 40, preferring to maintain close ties to the parental home until then.

According to statistics, 65% of citizens aged 18 to 34 remain living with their parents, and this is not only due to their own youthful leisurely pace and carefree attitude. In Italy, finding a stable job sufficient to rent a separate home is far from easy. Many are forced to work on temporary contracts, and young people under 40 are often considered insufficiently experienced for important positions.

4. Take three vacations a year
Most Italians spend their vacations within 26-28 calendar days, not much different from the average person. However, this period is usually broken up into several parts to fully enjoy the vacation. For example, they take a week in winter, another week in June, and devote two whole weeks in August, when the heat makes work unbearable.

5. Don’t rush, but make it happen
Hustle, tight deadlines, constant stress? In Italy, such concepts seem distant and alien. Here, everything unfolds differently – piano-piano—slowly, smoothly, gradually. Locals sometimes calmly spend months looking for a job, years buying a home, and up to 10 years pondering the proposal they’ll make to their partner’s parents.