Planning a journey to a foreign countries most of the time involves having to face some stereotypes. It frequently happens to hear people warning you against several things not because they have experience them, but just because they have heard of them.
One of the countries that is more subject to stereotypes is Italy. "Pasta, pizza and mafia" are usually the first things foreigners thinks about the country. There are general stereotypes that regard Italy as a whole, but also some that take into account just one part of it. In particular, Sicily seems to be the most stereotyped region of the Bel Paese.
It is quite interesting to analyze why. First of all, if something is constantly being said, it might be that there is some truth in it. However, in other cases it might just be that an old habit sticks into people's mind and the stereotype keeps on being transmitted, while reality is slightly different. Sicily is no exception.
Among the most widespread stereotype on Sicilian people is that every family belongs to mafia. It is basically The Godfather's fault if this is such a common thing foreigners say. Francis Ford Coppola's movie is considered one of the greatest masterpieces in the movie history. It is so loved and respected that people started confusing the truth with reality... As stated before, it would be silly to say that everything is untrue. Mafia reached American shores because among the immigrants that left for it there were members of the Mob. Moreover, in Sicily there is still a huge problem with mafia, but not everyone living there belongs to it. There is a long list of people who died trying to fight this problem, so stop saying that all people in Sicily are mafiosi pays respect to their memory.
Another quite widespread stereotype about Sicily is that everyone there has brown hair and dark eyes. People who like this kind of features might be surprised when they will see quite a few people with blondish or red hair and green or blue eyes! As a matter of facts, this mixture of Mediterranean and nordic characteristics is what makes many Sicilian men and women so attractive. History explains why this happened: the island has been conquered by many peoples, among whom the Normans, who stayed long enough to influence the features of Sicilians.
Also the way the locals dress themselves has been stereotyped. In the past, it is true, women tended to wore black clothes and men go around with acoppola hat. Women used to dress in this colour especially when someone of the family died. In our days, fashion designers such as Dolce & Gabbana keep on the memory of this recent past by dressing their models with the colours and style of the tradition. However, young generations dress themselves according to their personal taste or the latest fashion trends, and wearing black is more of a choice than a cultural imposition. So, during a holiday in Sicily, when people see women dressed in black, they should stop wondering if someone close to them had just died.
Finally, a positive thing regarding Sicilians is that they are perceived as an hospitable people. While traveling in the island, it might happen that a tourist is being invited for a coffee at a local's house, or they will drive a lost tourist to his/her destination. Moreover, it frequently happens that people who rent their houses or villas to tourists provide them with fresh fruits and vegetables from their own garden as a complementary thing for making tourists feel welcomed and at home.
A holiday in Sicily will give you the chance to see that stereotypes are not always true.
Source : articlesbase.com
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