Italian Standards of Living and Holidays

Overall, Italy ranks between the United Kingdom and Spain in per capita disposable income, but standards of living vary widely throughout the nation. In the northwest people are as prosperous as those in France: almost every family has an electric refrigerator and a television set, and electric washing machines are becoming common. By contrast, residents of the Basilicata and Sardinia are generally no better off than people in the Balkans.
 
Economic conditions vary even more among social classes than they do regionally, and redistribution of income through taxation and public services is much more limited in Italy than in northwestern Europe. According to one government survey, more than 10 million Italians are poor, lacking adequate food and shelter. Nevertheless, since World War II, Italy has made remarkable progress; indeed, despite limited resources, it has perhaps made greater gains in these years than either the advanced capitalist nations or the collectivist ones.

Holidays

Holidays and festivals are eagerly anticipated. National holidays include April 25, the anniversary of Italian liberation from Nazi-Fascist occupation; May 1, Labor Day; June 2, the proclamation of the republic; and November 4, Armistice Day (World War I). Religious holidays include January 6 (Epiphany); March 19 (Feast of St. Joseph); the sixth Thursday after Easter (Ascension); the ninth Thursday after Easter (Corpus Christi); June 29 (Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul); August 15 (Assumption); November 1 (All Saints); December 8 (Immaculate Conception); December 25 (Christmas); and December 26 (Feast of St. Stephen). New Year's Day and the day after Easter (Pasquetta) are popular holidays everywhere. There are also innumerable local festivals, such as spring fairs in Piedmont and Lombardy, the Palio delle Contrade festival in Siena, and the May music festival in Florence.

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