Posted by evan on Monday, May 15, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

Observational Blog 1

Music and bright lights filled the air of Cefalu as the nightlife got under way. Sitting in the Duomo Piazza late Sunday night, I watched as crowds of people passed by, greeting family and friends as well as checking out the restaurants and stores. There was a clear difference in clothes, verbal greetings, and gestures between Italian and American cultures but one major difference that struck me was the presence of children in Cefalu.

After a week of Sicily, I had grown to expect late morning starts and late night activities for the locals, with streets often filled with activities until midnight. However, after spending a half-hour observing the people walking in the street, I noticed how many children, toddlers and babies alike, were up with their parents as well. Obviously, some babies were asleep in their carriages but for the most part, the children were playing with each other, running along the streets and asking for gelato from their parents. While there were less people out on the streets, their tone and voice intensity often remained the same, allowing me to hear their Italian clearly (even though I still had no idea what they were saying). Also, most of the kids were “dressed-up” or wearing similar clothes to their parents. Girls wore dresses and boys wore button-downs or polos, imitating their parents. This could be attributed to Sunday church attire and they simply had not a chance to change yet.

In America, this late-night activity for children would be rare. Most children would be home asleep in bed or being babysat while their parents were out enjoying the nightlife. Here, staying up late was just a normal part of their life. Since I don’t know much about the external factors playing into these late-night strolls, it will be interesting to see if school (or summer holiday), religion (church attendance), or general culture beliefs play a role in this lifestyle.

On a small side note, we noticed many children walking together in groups, presumably on field trips throughout the Duomo Piazza the next day. Since I was unable to get a picture of my observations, I attached a picture of the large groups seen the day after. Even at ancient ruins such as Moziah, children were in abundance there, swarming with their bright red, yellow, or orange hats separating them from each other.

Overall, I did not expect the large presence of children across all times of the day and night. They dressed similarly to their parents and even spoke in similar intensities and tone. Their parents were thoroughly more engaged with them than I have seen with American parents. Even though all the factors could not be explained, it makes me wonder how much of an impact this behavioral difference has on a child’s development. Regardless, I’m glad to see the variety of differences between American and Italian culture.

Easy E checking out