How to adapt to the local culture in Rome
When settling down in Rome or any other city in the world, finding out about the local culture and norms can be great of help in your adaptation process. Like in other Italian cities, the Roman culture is very similar to different Western cultures.
Roman lifestyles and habits
The City of Rome gives off a charming and laid-back vibe that will make you want to indulge in the local culture. Rome is often associated with taking your time which often results in Romans not really stressing on punctuality. This is also a result of sometimes inefficient public transport fluidity, traffic jams and the lack of parking spaces.
In comparison to Northern Europeans, you will soon find out that Romans tend to be less in a hurry. However, this does not stop them from being welcoming, friendly and warm. Roman men are also known to be very charming.
In general, Italians prefer light breakfasts to rich ones. Many of them head to coffee bars in the morning to enjoy an Italian croissant and a coffee or a cappuccino to start the day off. Throughout the day, Italians take several coffee breaks. Lunch generally takes place around 1 pm while people have dinner around 8 or 9 pm.
During Christmas or Easter as well as during the summer season, many people leave the city for other places. It is part of the traditions for Italian families to come together during those festive celebrations and to head to the beach coast around July and August. Despite high temperatures, staying back in Rome can be quite pleasant as public transport is less crowded and the traffic tends to be more fluid.
Greetings
In Italy, one must abide by specific social codes when meeting people for the first time. In a professional setting, handshakes are naturally the norm when you first introduce yourself. In a more personal context, you should avoid kissing a person on the cheeks if you are meeting them for the very first time as this is generally something people who already know each other do. A handshake should do the trick and upon leaving, the person may or may not kiss you on the cheeks or hug you depending on how well you got to know each other.
Spoken languages in Rome
Although Rome is a city visited by millions of tourists every year, English is not a commonly spoken language in the Eternal city, and neither is French. It is, therefore, best to have a few basic notions of Italian if you would like to converse with Italians easily. Several local dialects can often be heard too. Do not worry. It will not take long before you find out that Romans are very keen to teach local expressions and words which may be useful to you in your daily life.
Good to know:
An excellent way to learn the language and socialise is to take part in the apéritifs Tandem which is basically night events that bring together locals and expatriates at the Rec23, one of the most popular bars in the Testaccio.
