SicilyShortStay will identify all the Sicilian culture facts you need to know before visiting Sicily or while staying on the island. Maybe, just out of curiosity. Feel free to send us your messages by email on . You may also comment on any blogs related to our Sicily Trivia posts so we can see your inquiries quickly. We are tackling this first question below. We hope it can help you, enjoy your stay in Sicily!
What are some tips to be polite in Sicily? – Sicilian Culture Facts
Greet 100 Buongiorno per day!
Buongiorno compare to ciao is more polite as you only say ciao to acquaintances, friends or family. You greet Buongiorno when entering almost any places such as public offices, schools, businesses, restaurants, friends’ houses and more. People inside will generally reply the same way politely. There might be instances that you meet a person the second time, either on the streets or another place, even though you only exchange eye contacts for 5 seconds. Greet them Buongiorno so they can recognise you too.
The same with the pronoun ‘tu’ or you in English, you can use it for people you already know. We mean people you are comfortable to talk with. Italians use pronoun ‘lei’ when talking to another person formally or politely.
Sicilians are very accommodating. They understand how hard it is to be in a strange land, so they let go of these rules for foreigners. So Ciao all you can! Just don’t use the funny Sicilian curses carelessly as it might offend people you do not know. Like min***, ca+++ and many more. They will make your new friends laugh when you say them with a different accent but that’s only it, it will catch other people’s attention if you use it carelessly on public places.
We live on the beautiful island of Sicily. In case you come to this side of the world, we listed the 10 Unique Sicilian customs and traditions you might encounter during your Sicily stay.
Featured photo courtesy of Bindalfrodo
This may sound funny, but I love learning how to be polite in different cultures (I mean, why not?). I love this post! Thanks for sharing.
Learning different cultures are not just helpful but really good for the soul. It makes us feel that we are so so small in this large, large world. But then somehow, understanding these unfamiliar traditions connect us into another territory. I hope you can visit this part of the world, Sicily is amazing.