Cultural Events and Holidays in Milan

I would like to use this post to talk about some cultural events and holidays happening in Milan while I've been studying here. Fashion Week, Carnevale, and Easter are very important to the Italians and you can experience all of these holidays and events firsthand in Milan while studying here!

To start, I would like to discuss Fashion Week in Milan. A lot of big-name celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Jacob Elordi, Rita Ora, Charli D’Amelio, Storm Reid, and many more attended the numerous luxury shows held here in Milan. Originally, I thought that I would be able to attend shows and events, but soon I realized that the fashion shows are exclusive and invite-only. However, many people often stand outside shows before, during, and after the scheduled time with the hope that they will catch sight of a celebrity making their way into the event. I had many friends here that would go in between classes to Prada, Gucci, Fendi, and other shows in hope of seeing celebrities. There were over 50 shows over the course of the week, and I knew many dedicated people who probably waited outside close to half of them to see what people were wearing. I know a lot of people that saw Kim Kardashian and other celebrities at Prada. 

The only fashion show I attended was Gucci and unfortunately, I did not run into any celebrities, however, I realized how many people dress up and show off their fashion skills in hope of getting noticed and having pictures taken as they walk past the events. It was quite interesting to see so many people’s different take on fashion and all their different styles. Overall, fashion week was chaotic, but it was something I had never experienced before studying here in Milan.

The next event I would like to discuss is Carnevale. Although Carnevale is not as celebrated in Milan as it is in Venice, where people will dress up in feathered, garnished, colorful, and elegant dresses and masks, Carnevale is celebrated in Milan with some parades and costumes. This year though due to COVID, there was a lot less celebration. Instead of being able to participate in their normal celebration, I found a delicious dessert called chiacchiere, which translates to chitchat. The dessert is a sweet fried and flaky dough dusted with powdered sugar. It is super delicious and you can see these delicacies in the window of every bakery in Milan during the Carnevale season, which is usually the month of February. My family friend that lives in Milan originally introduced me to chiacchiere, and I have not been able to resist buying them whenever I see them! Even though COVID interrupted the experience of Carnevale, which is a celebration of bringing color into the wintertime, I am happy I could still experience the deliciousness that Carnevale brings to Italy!

Finally, I would like to talk about Easter in Milan. Easter is on April 17th and Bocconi, the school I am studying at, is giving us school off for a week and a half. With that being said, it is clear Easter is an important holiday for Italians. Decorations of the spring colors and chocolate easter eggs are spread through the entire city, and as Easter gets closer and closer, more businesses are tagging along with the decorations. After doing some research, it seems that Easter is pretty similarly celebrated as it is in the United States, where businesses are closed from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Additionally, since Milan is a big, working city attracting tourists, it will not be dead in the streets. However, it will probably not be as busy as it usually is near city center and the Duomo. My family friend told me most people attend church and spend time with their families, which I know many of my friends also do back home. Since I am Jewish, I do not plan on celebrating the holiday, but wish a Happy Easter to those that do! Instead of celebrating Easter, my family will come and visit me here in Milan where we will probably experience Easter in Milan anyways.

Studying abroad thus far has been an indescribable experience. I believe that everyone should study abroad at some point in their college career, even if it is only for a couple of weeks instead of a semester. I have grown in so many ways since being here, from experiencing Italian culture firsthand, traveling to experience other cultures while simultaneously seeing the world, and meeting so many new people from all over the world. I have made connections with people out here that will last a lifetime and that is one of the many exciting experiences and memories you will have if you study abroad too!