Crackling leaves underfoot. Whafts of wood smoke in the air. Pumpkins and apples. Chestnuts roasting. There’s something cozy about Autumn, isn’t there? And these are just some of the things you can expect to find in an Italian autumn. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough and catch a grape or harvest. Two of the most special events of an Italian autumn! Learn more about olive picking in my post about Italy’s Olive Harvest!
Special things of an Italian autumn
But what else can you expect in an Italian autumn? Well, we have lots of food festivals all over the country. (Italians will always jump at the chance to celebrate food!) But there are also many other homely, everyday things that will make you feel right at home!
More delights of an Italian Autunno:
| CIBI AUTUNNALI | AUTUMN FOODS |
| Castagne | Chestnuts |
| Mele e pere | Apples and pears |
| Zucche | Pumpkins or squash |
| Noci | Nuts |
| Cachi | Persimmons |
| Arance | Oranges |
| ATTIVITA AUTUNNALI | AUTUMN ACTIVITIES |
| Rastrellamento delle foglie | Leaf raking |
| Calcio | Soccer or football |
| Vendemmia | Grape harvest |
| Raccolto delle olive | Olive harvest |
| Fare passeggiate | Take walks |
| Accensione del cammino | Lighting of the fireplace |
| BELLEZZE AUTUNNALI | AUTUMN BEAUTIES |
| Alberi colorati | Colorful trees |
| Foglie in caduta | Falling leaves |
| Aria fredda e frizzante | Cool crisp air |
| Ghiande | Acorns |
| Spaventapasseri | Scarecrows |
| Ombrelli | Umbrellas |
Things you won’t find
But are there any things you probably won’t find in an Italian Autumn? Yes indeed! You can keep your eyes open, but these things are rare.
| Scoiattoli | Squirrels (rarely seen) |
| Festa del Ringraziamento | Thanksgiving Day |
| Cornucopie | Cornucopias |
| Giri nel carrello | Hayrides |
| Sidro di mele | Apple cider |
Which things would you like to do or find?
📷 Images are mine
Signora Sheila 
19 responses to “The Italian Autumn: What to Expect”
After forty years in Florida (23 of which were in South Florida), I’m delighted to live in the Midwest where I grew up, able to enjoy the changing seasons again. Fall certainly offers plenty to celebrate, with the cool and crisp air near the top of the list. SO refreshing after the heat and humidity of summer. Also love soup on a chilly evening, candle glow when the skies turn gray, and cheery pumpkins on porches and fence posts.
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I love your list, Nancy! Those are things I love about autumn too! God has given us so much beauty, plenty, and cheer to enjoy!!
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Amen, my friend!
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No squirrels? But still a lot in common. I am Italian so I can relate to celebrations surrounded by good food. I’ve never been to Italy but my mother was born there. I have wonderful memories with my big Italian family growing up.
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Well Nancy, we do have squirrels. They’re just not common or plentiful. Mostly, I think, because of habitat loss and being wiped out by non-native squirrel species. And yes, it seems that no celebration is ever complete in Italy without food. Good, and a lot of it! And like you say, always chock full of great memoties. Since your mother was from here you really should visit. I know you’d love it!!
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Many of my relatives were born there. I’d love to visit someday.
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Yes, you really should!!
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I love that the Italians love to celebrate so many things, but especially all that God has provided for you. We miss a lot of that genuine celebratory attitude here. It saddens me that Thanksgiving is often overlooked because everyone is already preparing for Christmas, And living in Florida, crisp wouldn’t describe our weather much at all. But the whole squirrel conversation–I think they may be one of the most clever of God’s creatures because I don’t think there’s a bird feeder made that is fully squirrel proof!
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Oh yes, Dayle. Italians do love celebrating – especially when it involves food!! Autumn here really is mostly crisp. But it is also our rainy season, and at times we get rain for days on end. We’re having one of those rainy spells now. Drab, dreary, and wet!! But as far as the squirrels, I beg to differ. My dad invented a squirrel-proof bird feeder. I’m not exactly sure how he built it. I guess he could have patented it!! But squirrels are cute and clever, for sure!!
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Kudos to your dad! Didn’t know it was possible!
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I didn’t think it could be done either! I guess he should have patented it!!
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No squirrels or apple cider, and yet SO much still in common. It really is a small world. :) We have apple trees, so we do a lot of apple crisps and dried apples. My children enjoy apple cider with cinnamon sticks and cloves. We have many fall birthdays in our family so we have lots of celebrating, and the colors are beautiful. God bless you today, Shiea! Good to read your post!
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Do you make your own cider Linda? I would love to know how to make it! Apples are plentiful here, but we either just eat them or they get made into juice. Cider does sound like a great drink for your fall birthdays! We don’t get the beautiful colors you see in many parts of the States, which I kind of miss sometimes. But if I were there, I would miss the grape and olive harvests, so there you go!! :)
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I don’t make the cider. I buy it. We make lots of applesauce. God made our hearts big enough to adopt all kinds of new people and traditions! :)
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Oh well, I guess I could look up a cider recipe. I was hoping to learn from someone with first-hand experience! And yes Linda, God truly does enlarge our hearts in all ways!!
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No squirrels. That’s funny as we are overrun with the things LOL
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Yes, it does seem funny Wally. But we do have squirrels, they’re just somewhat rare, and usually black. I don’t know, maybe they all got eaten up during the war or something. Which by the way, is good meat. My dad and uncles were all hunters. And pan squirrel with morrell mushrooms, so yummy! It has a sort of nutty flavor! One year whene were camping and hiking up in Italy’s Alps, we took an enclosed cableway up to a glacier. All of a sudden a lady started yelling excitedly, “A squirrel, a squirrel!” Perhaps she’d never seen one before! While, as you say, the states is overrun. My dad constantly battles to keep them out of his bird feeders, lol!
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They are good! Like pan fried and also with dumplings
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Hmmm… never had them with dumplings. And probably never will. Where would I get the squirrel, lol!!
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