Colors of Como - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

The city of Como is characterized by a very unhurried and measured rhythm of life. Locals are not accustomed to hurrying, they always have some time to rest and pay great attention to cultural life. This can be seen from numerous holidays and festivals, some of which have been held in the city for several decades. One of the most interesting and significant festivals for the city is Parada par Tucc taking place in May.

The beautiful holiday always attracts many foreign guests; its main events are colorful carnival processions. On the festival days, parades take place in the central streets of the city. Their participants dress up in beautiful traditional costumes. Special dolls are made especially for the holiday. In recent years, the festival program has become really diverse. Street performances, musical concerts, and gastronomic events are its mandatory components.

The annual Festa della Giubiana is held in the vicinity of the city. The permanent venue is the small town of Cantù. The holiday bears the name of the old witch Giubiana who, according to legend, lived in the city during the Middle Ages. When the city was besieged by conquerors, the woman gave them the keys to the fortress for the sake of reunion with her lover. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Local residents repulsed the invaders, and the witch was soon executed for treason on the main town square. Today, lush public festivities are organized on the day of the holiday symbolizing the strength and unbroken spirit of the small town. In the central square, a large puppet of the witch is burnt when darkness falls. Such an original folk festival is usually held in January when it invariably attracts many tourists.

One of the youngest festivals in Como is the StreetScape Contemporary Art Festival. Held in 2011 for the first time, the original festival became so popular with locals that now it is regularly held every year. It is usually held in the middle of autumn when the city's streets and squares are decorated with original sculptures and installations. Artists from many countries of the world take part in this event. Projects for the festival are carefully selected. All of the art installations presented in the city are very symbolic. They may be devoted to pressing problems of ecology, medicine, and social relations.

Como's most famous and large-scale holiday is the annual Festival del Lago di Como. The music festival is held on the shore of the lake where beautiful open-air stages are set up for the period of the festival. Performances of popular jazz and blues bands take place here. All concerts held within the framework of the festival are absolutely free of charge. Participation in the famous festival is a great honor for invited performers. In the summer, the most famous singers and musicians from all over the world visit Como. The musical festival starts in the first days of June and usually ends in September. Throughout the whole summer, guests of the city can enjoy romantic musical evenings.

Wine-making traditions are an important component of the local culture; interesting fairs and thematic programs are held in the city every year in May. Visitors to the wine festivals will have the opportunity to participate in exciting thematic tours, stroll through beautiful vineyards, and visit historic wineries. A mandatory part of the wine festival is tasting the best wines, as well as regional products. Especially popular are fairs where all tourists can find and buy rare varieties of homemade wines or original souvenirs.

Despite such an active social life and love for large-scale celebrations, all residents of Como are known for their love for the family and strong family ties. Walking around the city on weekends, one can notice that there are almost no people on the streets. Here it is customary to spend weekends in the family circle: to visit relatives living in neighboring towns and villages, to arrange picnics away from the busy streets, to organize family dinners.

All major holidays are also celebrated with family, such traditions are especially relevant for Christmas. At Easter, on the contrary, it is customary to visit friends and close ones, spending time in big noisy groups of friends. It is also not customary to stay at home on New Year's Eve. Interesting entertainment programs are always held on solemnly decorated streets so the majority of city residents go out to celebrate the holiday at night. Like people in many other Italian cities, the inhabitants of Como are very sociable and friendly, so foreign guests are always warmly welcome here.