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    31 Things Everyone Who Grew Up Italian Will Understand

    NO I'M NOT YELLING THIS IS JUST MY NORMAL VOICE.

    1. Being terrified by the sight of this to this day:

    #growingupitalian your biggest fear when you were younger

    2. Canceling all other plans for Sunday dinner.

    #growingupitalian having to say "sorry I can't hang i can't hang i have sunday dinner" to people every Sunday

    3. And having a very loose interpretation of the word "dinner":

    #growingupitalian eating dinner at 3 on a Sunday 🇮🇹

    4. This inevitable question:

    Having a friend who ask you if someone in your family is in the mafia #growingupitalian

    5. Looking forward to these at every family gathering:

    RT anthony_gemma: #growingupitalian every dessert ever

    6. And these at Christmas:

    #GrowingUpItalian It isn't Christmas without nonna making struffoli 😍😩

    7. Never really grasping the concept of an "indoor voice."

    #growingupitalian not going one day without yelling "MA"

    #GrowingUpItalian your mom having a casual conversation two floors down and it sounding like she's right next to you

    #growingupitalian when your parents are on the phone and you can't tell if there arguing or just talking normal

    8. Knowing that real coffee is always made on the stovetop.

    The authentic Italian coffee vs. coffee flavoured water! #GrowingUpItalian

    9. And that there's always room for more.

    #GrowingUpItalian the party doesn't end at the hall or wherever, you go to someone's house to have coffee and eat some more

    10. Knowing that this stuff is NO joke:

    #GrowingUpItalian homemade wine is a serious thing🇮🇹🍷

    11. Having very strong feelings about how to pronounce certain foods.

    #GrowingUpItalian saying calamari as "galamad" and mozzarella as "mootzadell" and people looking at you like what did u just say 🇮🇹

    12. Knowing the cookies in this tin had seen their time long, long ago:

    “@caitlinpavone: #growingupitalian this held the sewing kit not cookies ”😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😭

    13. Everyone in the family sharing one of approximately eight names.

    You had at least 6 cousins and 2 uncles named Paolo or Tony #GrowingUpItalian

    #GrowingUpItalian having a million marias' and giavonnas' in your family

    #growingupitalian never knowing which Vinny is being talked about at a family gathering

    14. Being assigned this task:

    "Go stir the sauce" #growingupitalian

    15. And the ol' gravy vs. sauce debate:

    #GrowingUpItalian getting strange looks when you say gravy bc everyone calls it a sauce .

    16. People asking why you were wearing a chili pepper.

    #GrowingUpItalian having this attached to at least one of your backpacks, purses or keys

    17. This:

    #GrowingUpItalian nonna giving you 20$ everytime you go to visit her

    18. The struggle of not, in fact, actually being hungry.

    #GrowingUpItalian Telling your family "I'm not hungry" and receiving this look

    19. The mystery relatives:

    #growingupitalian when a man or lady comes up to you and tells you that you have grown up so much and u have no idea who they are

    20. Never having to go to the store for your tomatoes and basil.

    #GrowingUpItalian backyard full of tomato plants, basil and hot peppers 👌🏻🇮🇹🍅

    21. This word being thrown around:

    #growingupitalian hearing your parents insult someone by describing them as "stunada"

    22. Feeling nostalgic about pastina.

    #GrowingUpItalian this is the first solid food you ever ate... and you still crave it to this day

    23. And this stash of cookies:

    #GrowingUpItalian grandma always had these

    24. Having no concept of what "one serving" actually is.

    #GrowingUpItalian really skewed my perspective on appropriate pasta portion size

    25. These omnipresent candies:

    I saw this in #growingupitalian the accuracy I'm crying 😂😂

    26. And seeing this guy everywhere you turned:

    We all have a picture of Padre Pio in our house #GrowingUpItalian

    27. Familial connections:

    #GrowingUpItalian if you need help you can count a relative who's "gotta guy"

    28. Either loving or hating this:

    #GrowingUpItalian you cannot enter another Italians home at Christmas time without bringing one of these

    29. Finding these in your Easter basket:

    #GrowingUpItalian when getting these is the best part of easter

    30. Having awkward encounters later on in life.

    #growingupitalian accidentally kissing your friend on the cheek when saying bye bc you're so used to doing it

    31. And most importantly, knowing that if this wasn't homemade, it wasn't coming anywhere near you:

    #GrowingUpItalian never eating this in your life

    Thumbnail image credit: Onofrio Scaduto/Creative Commons