Today, I propose we veer away from idiomatic expressions and delve into a well-known Italian proverb closely tied to the Easter season: Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi.
Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!
This proverb suggests that while spending Christmas (Natale) with your parents is important, Easter (Pasqua) allows for more freedom in choosing your company—whether it’s family, friends, or even enjoying the holiday solo if you prefer!
You might wonder why the proverb mentions i tuoi instead of i tuoi genitori. This is because in Italian, i miei (mine), i tuoi (yours), i suoi (his/hers), and so on, omit the explicit mention of genitori (parents) as it’s implied. In fact, it’s fairly uncommon for Italians to include the word genitori in this specific context.
Stasera vado da i miei (genitori) per cena.
Tonight I’m going to my parents’ house for dinner.
So, what is the origin of this particular proverb? According to the Istituto Linguistico Mediterraneo, it derives from the idea that Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for the vast majority of Italians, even if you aren’t particularly religious.
It has also been suggested that the climate had an impact on the proverb. Whereas Christmas tends to be spent indoors with the most intimate members of the family, Easter is often spent outdoors with the extended family and friends.
Despite this proverb, many Italians do indeed choose to spend Easter with their families, particularly those who live far from home and have limited opportunities to see their parents and siblings throughout the year.
Want to find out more about how Easter is spent in Italy?
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Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
