Key Facts
- Nonno is the Italian term for grandfather, while Bisnonno refers to great-grandfather, highlighting the importance of family hierarchy.
- Italian culture values grandparents, with communal living historically allowing them to assist in childcare and household tasks.
- Grandparents Day, or Buona Festa Dei Nonni, is celebrated on October 2, honoring grandfathers with festivities and awards for distinguished service.
Grandfathers in Italy are called Nonno while great grandfathers are known as Bisnonno. Grandparents are well respected by everyone especially their family members. Your paternal grandfather is called nonno paterno whereas your maternal grandfather is your nonno materno.
In Italy, it is a common thing to add suffixes to grandparent names. The word Uccio means smallness or affection and can be added to nonno to make nonnuccio. Nonnino and nonnetto are also terms of endearment meaning “little grandfather.” Occasionally, nonnino could be nonni for short if you like. Nonni is also the word for the plural form of grandparents.
Some who are not ethnic origins of Italy have adopted Nonno as their own grandparent name because they like the way it sounds and because it is easy for grandchildren to say. So in other words, it is not just Italians that call their grandfather Nonno, although it is an Italian word.
Importance of Grandparents in Italian Culture
Extended families are very important in Italian culture, with grandparents and great-grandparents. Adult children are known to be very close to their parents. It is expected of families to eat at least one meal a week together and they also do this on other occasions.
Bisnonno is an Italian name for great-grandfather and they used to be part of the family unit. In those days, in an agricultural or farming environment, parents, grandparents and great grandparents lived in the same house and shared all their meals which were peppered. But in recent times, this family tradition became a thing of the past and not of the moment.
Communal living in Italian homes in those days, had the advantage that parents and grandparents could help with taking care of the baby and help in other activities like assisting in the preparation of food and fruit for the winter months.
Communal living also created lots of tensions due to the differences in age, social values and other differences between generations. However, now this has drastically reduced family format imposed by civilization proved to have many disadvantages.
Grandparents Day in Italy
Italian grandfathers are celebrated on grandparents day which is a day dedicated, which they call Buona Festa Dei Nonni, since 2005. Grandfathers are celebrated every October 2. On this day or on another date, Italian schools celebrate grandparents day by inviting them to schools, honoured and “feasted.”
Interestingly, the official flower of Buona Festa Dei Nonni is the nontiscordardimé, the forget-me-not, which is the same as in the United States. “Thou Shalt” is the official grandparent’s song that is solely entitled to them.
The song “Ninna Nonna” is a popular song that is considered to be an unofficial song of Grandparents Day. An to the grandparents who have distinguished themselves with meritorious service are awarded an annual prize—”Il Premio nazionale del nonno e della nonna d’Italia”.