Illness In Italy

The Italian population has many theories regarding health and illness, both physical and metaphysical. Italians rely heavily on religious faith and believe that most outcomes are a matter of God’s Will and are therefore inevitable. Despite their acceptance of the imminence of fate, Italians also believe illness can be caused by a multitude of specific conditions. Examples of these conditions include contamination, curses from God or humans, windy or drafty weather, and even emotional stress. In conjunction with religious rites, Italians employ a variety of other traditional remedies to treat and prevent illness. (Spector, 2013, p. 330) As a child, I recall my Italian grandmother passing out jackets and warning family members of “colpo d’aria”, which I understood as basically a fear of illness caused by cold weather. I later learned that this fear is deeply engrained Italian culture. Italians widely believe that a sudden blast of cold air can transmit contagions that potentially culminate into a cold, the flu, or pneumonia and can even exacerbate existing ailments. Italians value fresh air as being essential to healthy living and disease prevention. This concept seems …show more content…
Many maladies are blamed on jinxes of sorts. Two of the most prominent superstitions are the evil eye and the curse, respectively referred to as malocchio and castiga in Italian. Common, low-grade issues such as a toothache or a sour stomach maybe attributed to the evil eye, while more acute afflictions are likely the result of a curse. The curse is thought to be a form of chastisement bestowed upon the victim by a malevolent person or as a karmic gesture of castigation from God for past wrongdoings. Prayers, leeching, and homemade concoctions of herbs, oils, and eggs are remedies that are frequently used to rid the victims and homes of malocchio and castiga. (Spector, 2013, p.