What do you celebrate on Ferragosto in Italy?

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15 August is Ferragosto in Italy. But what is being celebrated?

Ferragosto in Italy

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated every year on 15 August. This day is rich in historical, cultural and religious meanings that have evolved over the centuries.

The origin of Ferragosto

Historically, Ferragosto has ancient roots dating back to the Roman Empire. The term “Ferragosto” is derived from the Latin “feriae Augusti“, meaning “holidays of Augustus”. This festival was introduced in 18 BC by Octavian Augustus, from whom the month of August takes its name.

Ferragosto was a time of rest and celebration of the harvest, as farmers celebrated the end of their field work, and unified the main holidays in August of the time. Festivals and horse races were held throughout the empire, and the draft animals that did not have to work in the fields were decorated with flowers.

Ferragosto was originally celebrated on 1 August, even though the days of rest and celebration were actually much more.

From pagan to Catholic festival

The feast day was adopted by the Catholic Church around the 7th century when the Assumption of Mary began to be celebrated, a feast day that was later fixed on 15 August. The dogma of the Assumption (only recognised as such in 1950) states that the Virgin Mary was assumed with body and soul into heaven. So nowadays there are several celebrations dedicated to Mary on 15 August.

Ferragosto as a holiday season

Besides the religious meaning, there is another one today that makes Ferragosto the highlight of the summer: Over the centuries, Ferragosto has developed into a summer break and a holiday celebration. Most companies have company holidays around Ferragosto and Italians use this time to go on holiday. On the day of Ferragosto, barbecues, excursions, bonfires, village festivals and fireworks are traditionally organised, preferably near a lake or sea or even in the mountains to escape the summer heat.