The differences between England and Italy: culture clash?

You probably know Italy for its sun, marvelous pizzas and pasta dishes, and for the Italian love of hand gestures when speaking. But clearly this is not everything! England and Italy have interesting cultural differences that you must study. We have given you a selection to prepare you for certain small things to think of when you go to Italy.

• The bidet

In Italy, unlike in England, the bidet is fairly common. The bidet is not very widely found in England. In the bathroom of your hotel, in the toilets of certain restaurants … they are everywhere in Italy! So if you go to Italy, do not be surprised to see what looks like a mini-toilet next to the normal one. It’s very common and popular in Italy, so there is no need to be confused or alarmed!

• The Food

Italy is renowned around the world for its cuisine. Even without talking about the dishes themselves, the structure of a meal is very different in Italy compared to England. While a meal in England may well be made up of three courses: a starter, main course, and dessert but in Italy it is not quite the same. The structure of a meal in Italy is effectively as follows: starter, first dish, main dish, dessert. The first dish known as PRIMO, is normally a pasta dish. So, you can see that the cliché of pasta in Italy is actually justified!

• Kissing each other

Although it is not as common as some countries like France, it is not unusual to greet others with a kiss on the cheek, whereas a handshake is much more common in England. Italians always kiss the right cheek first, so pay attention to avoid potentially awkward and embarrassing situations. There are also some differences between northern and southern Italy, so make sure you prepare and do your research before going over to Italy and meeting new people.

If you want to learn more about the cultural differences between England and other countries, do not hesitate to look at the Berlin Translate blog by clicking on the links below.