Photo by Francesca Tosolini

If you want to give a floral present to an Italian person, avoid giving chrysanthemums. These flowers are associated with death and are the flowers one brings to a funeral.
If nevertheless, you do happen to give chrysanthemums as a gift, don’t be surprised if the immediate reaction is one of the following:
• Touching any object made of iron, which is the Italian translation for “knock on wood.”
• A hand waving in your face, making the sign of the “horns” with one hand (by stretching out the index and the little finger).
• Touching the private parts.
Italian women will choose the first or second option, while Italian men will most certainly opt for the third one, as they believe that touching the testicles is the most effective way to attract the good luck and push the bad luck away. These actions are commonly made to deflect bad luck in general and do not only apply exclusively to the giving of the flower.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 14 “Italian lifestyle” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}