Italian Culture - Etiquette (2024)

Etiquette

Primary Author

Nina Evason,2017

It is common for Italian friends and families to kiss on the cheek when they meet, irrespective of their gender.
Stand up out of respect when an older person enters the room.
It is important to dress neatly and respectfully.
Cover your mouth when yawning or sneezing.
Hats should be removed indoors.
It is impolite to remove one’s shoes in front of others.
Punctuality is not tight in social situations. In Italy, ‘on time’ can mean 20, 30 or even 45 minutes late.
Open doors for the elderly. Men often open doors for women.
Stand to greet any senior person that walks into the room.

It is common to visit friends, especially on Sundays and holidays.
Italians from villages may visit each other unannounced; however in the cities, people plan most social engagements to fit within schedules.
Some Italians find it rude to take off one’s shoes in front of others.
Punctuality is not mandatory. It is acceptable to arrive 15 to 30 minutes after the designated time.
Dinner guests often bring a gift of wine, chocolates or flowers.
Offering compliments about the host’s home or provided meal is a good way to break the ice.
Typically, elders enter a room first.
It is common for men to stand when a woman first enters a room. This is the same for children when an adult first enters a room.
If you are visiting somebody’s house just before dinner time, it is expected you will stay for the meal.
Make sure to compliment the cleanliness and decor of someone’s home. Italian women often take great pride in the appearance of their houses.

Italians generally wait for their host to sit before they do so and wait for them to indicate it is time to eat.
Some Italians may pray and say ‘grace’ before eating a meal.
Guests are invited to start eating when the host or head of the table says “Buon appetito”(Enjoy your meal).
If bread is on the table, try not to fill up on it before the main course begins. Use it to absorb the sauce at the end of the meal.
Some meals on special occasions can take hours to finish as conversation continues.
It is improper to put one’s hands on one’s lap, or to stretch one’s arms while at the table.
Resting one’s elbows on the table is also considered to be poor manners.
Do not leave the table until everyone has finished eating.
Drinking beverages other than water or wine with a meal is quite uncommon.
If someone does not want more wine, the typical custom is to leave the wine glass nearly full.
It is generally impolite to eat whilst walking.
Guests are not expected to help the host clean up after a meal.
Breakfast is not a big meal in Italian culture and is sometimes skipped.
Traditionally, Italians eat lunch together as a family. However, this is not always practised in the fast-paced environment of the modern day.
Outdoor (al fresco) dining is very popular in the summer months.

Gifts are often open in front of the giver when received.
It is common for Italians to wrap gifts in decorative and beautiful wrapping. However, avoid wrapping a gift in black or purple. These colours symbolise mourning/grief and bad luck respectively.
Avoid giving knives or scissors as gifts. These are considered bad luck.
With the exception of alcohol, giving specialty foods from one’s country may not be well received by your Italian counterpart.
It is considered bad taste to clearly showcase how much was spent for a gift. Take care to remove or cover the sticker price.
If giving flowers, be aware that chrysanthemums symbolise death and are used at funerals. Yellow flowers can indicate jealousy whilst red flowers may indicate love, passion or secrecy.