By Mikey Dombrowiecki
When it comes to studying abroad, sometimes it’s not as easy as it seems. For most of us, we tend to experience one common struggle: culture shock. This blog post describes my way of becoming more connected with the Italian culture through a local Florentine event.
It has now been about two weeks since I have arrived to Florence, Italy to complete my semester abroad. When coming abroad, I knew the lifestyle and culture here would be different than what I am used to in my charming little beach town in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Little did I know this adjustment would be bigger than I could have ever imagined – one can infer that I was experiencing severe “culture shock.” So, I figured I would take matters into my own hands to find a way to break away from my homegrown routine begin to act like a Florence native. While browsing around for things to do, an FUA professor introduced me to the idea of attending the “The Lantern Festival,” called “Rificolona.” Unsure of what exactly it was, I figured I should have an open mind and attend as it was located only a few blocks away from my apartment.
I ventured off on my own to attend the festival, and found myself piled in with hundreds of locals who were also gathering to participate in the festival. Aimlessly wandering around, I later ran into some of my classmates and together we walked around and explored. We also quickly grabbed some of the lanterns to avoid being just tourists. Halfway through the evening, I spotted my boyfriend Kyle, his roommate, Brenden, and their Italian host dad, Marco. Marco was kind enough to invite the boys to the festival so they authentically experience Italian culture. As the festival went on, I found myself engaging in conversations with Marco. Never missing a beat, he explained to me every ounce of the background and importance behind the festival, including the vivid memories from his childhood and how he came to the festival every year. He now brings his own kids, who are ages eight and ten.
Simply explained, the Festival of Lights is in honor of the Virgin Mary – the celebration of her life. The event originated in the 17th century, when farmers would make a pilgrimage into the city to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary’s birthday at the basilica of Santissima Annunziata. Centuries later, this still remains the location for a Florentine tradition that gathers the city’s residents for an illuminated evening.
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