L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 8 FRANCESCA BEZZONE O n the 4th of N ovember, Italy celebrates the end of the First World War. In fact, 2018 marks the centenary of the Armistizio di Villa Giusti, in which the Austro-Hungarian Empire surrendered to Italy and the rest of the winning forces. From the following year, 1919, the 4th of November became a national recurrence to celebrate the end of the conflict and it is the only one to have been cele- brated w ithout interruption through various important moments of Italian history, from the immediate post war years and the Ventennio Fascista, all the way down to our modern Republic. On the 4th of November 1921, the emotional, pathos-rich tumu- lazione del Milite Ignoto - the unknown soldier victim of the Great War, today symbol of all Italian soldiers who perished, throughout history, during the horror of all conflicts - was the culminating moment of the cere- mony that made the Vittoriano, or Altare della Patria, one of the symbols of our capital. It is also for this reason that, today, the 4th of November does not only com- memorates the end of the Great War for Italy, but is also the day dedicated to our Forze Armate, our army, and to the unity of Italy. So yes, this time of the year - and this year more than any other - we Italians do think a lot about the First World War: those who are into history enjoy the many documentaries and tv spe- cials dedicated to the conflict on our History Channel, while the rest of the country embraces a moment of national pride around the values of unity and common heritage. As tragic as wars are, they often leave behind things that end up becoming part of our every- day life: ball point pens are an inheritance of the Second World War as are nylon stockings, at least in Italy. And what about the First World War? Well, you may be surprised to find out that there are a few truly Italian habits and expressions that were born dur- ing those tragic years: a bit of light hearted trivia to remind us of life and normality, even when thinking of what is considered the first modern conflict in the history of mankind. For instance, did you know that it is during the Great War that Italians… 1. Got into the habit to start their day with caffé At the beginning of the 20th century, coffee had long been a staple in Italian larders. So essen- tial was it, that it was part of sol- diers' daily rations of food even in trenches. It seems that along the trenches near the Isonzo river, which marked the very border between Italy and the Austro- Hungarian Empire, rations would reach the frontline around 10 pm, giving to soldiers the possibility to enjoy a late dinner. This meant that soldiers in the rear lines would get their food, including their daily allowance of coffee, around 4 am, that is, when it was time to wake up. Soon enough, certainly also thanks to the mind- awakening properties of caffeine, Italian soldiers made of that morning coffee a true habit, a habit we've been keeping for 100 years. 2. Began choosing a very odd name for their children Well, in fact, it's more at the end of the Great War, rather than during, but here's the story. On the 4th of November, we said, Italy signed the Armistice of Villa Giusti, which marked the end of 3 years of bloody, violent fighting. The announcement was made in a military bulletin signed by our chief general, Armando Diaz, hero of Italy and namesake of countless streets, squares and schools around the country. It ended with the formal, yet com- mon firmato Diaz, that is, signed by Diaz. Pity that many Italians of the time, well… thought firma- to was Diaz's first name and called their children just that, Fir- mato. I have never met a Firmato in my life, but that wartime events and people used to be trendsetters when it came to chil- dren's name is a known fact in Italy: during Fascist times we had many Italia and also a lot of Adua, celebrating the 1896 victo- ry of the Italian army in Ethiopia, a battle Mussolini considered the starting point of the country "imperial power." 3. Coined a still popular, colorful expression to say some- one is bothering you Those of you who speak Ital- ian or have Italian speaking friends are certainly familiar with the expression rompere le scat- ole, often used in sentences such as "non rompere le scatole," or "sei un rompiscatole," meaning respectively "leave me alone," and "you're really annoying," although both translations are much milder than the original Italian. As in Italy's collective imagination the "scatole" of these expressions are not really "boxes" (that's what scatola means in Italian), but a non- explicit way to refer to male geni- tals, both expressions are consid- ered pretty colorful. Yet, it seems the association between boxes and a man's own family jewels may, in fact, not even exist. Some maintain that the expression "rot- tura di scatole," breaking up boxes, from which all the other idioms originated, derives from a common practice among soldiers in the trenches, who were asked by their commanders to "break all boxes" before an attack, the boxes in question being those containing ammunitions. 4. Adopted a now iconic way to call the Germans If you watch a movie about the Second World War set in Italy, you'll notice the wide use of a specific term to call all Ger- man soldiers, crucchi. This word, which today has a somehow neg- ative connotation, was in fact used for the first time by Italian soldiers of the Great War, who weren't thinking of Germans when using it. The term comes from the Serbo-Croat word kruch, bread, and our soldiers would use it as a nickname for the people of southern Yugoslavia, for whom bread was the main form of nourishment. The link with the Germans came during the Second World War, when Italian soldiers on the Russ- ian Front used it for members of the Wehrmacht. Back home, the link between crucco and the Ger- mans became stronger when our Partigiani started using the noun. Funny to think that, etymologi- cally, we Italians are also crucchi, in the end: if there's someone in the world that loves bread, that's us! The Great War, to many historians the first modern war fought, left behind some little thought of inheritances Things Italy inherited from the Great War NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Drinking coffee first thing in the morning: in Italy, it became a national custom after soldiers on the Eastern Front got the habit

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