Why do Italian children have good self esteem?

It had been a very full day.

Building work on our little houses was in full swing. When I say building work, pretty much any change you make to a 17^th century house involves masonry.  Very little timber is used in the construction of these houses, so change = dust, everywhere.  After the ‘muratore’ or stone mason had gone home for the day, we cleaned up and relaxed with a nice glass of local red wine and thought about dinner.

Soon, some locally produced sausages (a specialty of our town) were frying away happily with some lovely fresh vegetables.  Actually the butcher at the supermarket had given us the sausages as it was the supermarket's birthday!  He was so passionate about his meat.  The house was filled with a nice aroma, the doors were open to our lovely view out over the valley when the strains of "Tanti Auguri a Te" (“Happy Birthday to you”) rang out from the street immediately below us...

We went out on our little balcony to join in and saw the beaming face of a 5 year old boy, who was revelling in HIS day.  We knew it was his birthday, as this was about the 5^th time we had heard birthday greetings being sung by his family.  His birthday was an all-day affair.

In the middle of the street below us was a table all decked out with nibbles and food and a ring of family members and friends all gathered around filling the entire street.  Fortunately the only wheeled vehicle I ever saw in this street was a local farmer’s ‘Ape’ (a three wheeled Vespa with a little truck tray on the back) once or twice per day.

As we joined in the birthday greeting, there were cheers from below and we were instructed to get down there and share an aperitif.  We couldn’t resist and so turned off the cooking dinner and headed down to the street.  Just in time for another round of "Happy Birthday".

The aperitif turned into a feast and we were made to stay for the duration in no uncertain terms.  And so unfolded a full evening of celebration.  Bubbles, nibbles, pizza, wine, more wine and before we knew it was 11pm.  All through the evening anyone who passed by was drawn into the occasion - you could arrive but never leave!

Being thrust in to this situation was delightful for Alan who HAD to converse in Italian only, although the hand gestures of one of the guests who had shaken Prince Charles’ hand was a memory we will always remember with a chuckle.  Charles' big ears were the defining signal of the identity of the character in the charade.  Conversation was very wide-ranging, including an in depth discussion about the Tasmanian devil.  Alan’s Italian had never been stretched that far before!

All the while, the young boy in whose honour this outdoor meal was held was continually affirmed, celebrated and hugged by all his family members and other guests.  In Italy, few children start their adult lives with self-esteem issues….. they have no doubt that they are significant.