1. You were raised on coffee from a young age.
2. And it was often made with a plunger.
3. There was nothing quite as threatening as the words, "I'm getting the wooden spoon."
#growingupitalian your biggest fear when you were younger
4. If you ever had friends around, they were only asked approximately 1000 times if they were hungry or needed more food.
5. Your Nonna was the best cook around.
6. And it was definitely more natural talent than recipes.
Me: how much should i put in? Nonna: just enough Me: no like the measurement Nonna: yeah just enough #growingupitalian
7. There were certain traditions that came with cooking.
8. And literally nothing tasted better than homemade risotto or gnocchi.
9. You were also schooled on the correct way to pronounce Italian dishes and if you got it wrong, god help you.
10. Any gathering called for platters of cheese, dips, olives, Jatz, cabanossi, and water crackers.
11. And there were always plenty of deli meats available for a casual snack.
12. If you refused food your Nonna automatically assumed you were sick or something was wrong.
13. And her lifelong dreams basically revolved around fattening up her "skinny" grandchildren.
When nonna tries to feed you but you're already full #drake #hotlinebling #wogproblems
14. When the whole family got together in the one house, it basically sounded like the circus had come to town.
Italian problems
No such thing as quiet voices in Italian families.
15. Many family gatherings ended in a musical affair.
16. And every time you ran into a long-lost zia, they always pinched your cheeks and said, "look how much you've grown!"
17. (Of course, there's always one zia called Maria).
#GrowingUpItalian having a million marias' and giavonnas' in your family
18. It was basically customary to kiss everyone hello and goodbye.
19. Going to your Nonna's house in the holidays was basically an excuse to eat a lot, while she spent ridiculous amounts of time on the phone.
20. And there was no one more tuned into family gossip than your Nonna.
21. There was definitely a framed picture of the Pope or some other Catholic authority hanging from your grandparents' house.
22. And every year without fail there'd be a Christmas wreath made out of Minties or chocolate.
23. Oh, and of course, Panettone.
24. You definitely learnt over time if you found a cookie tin that it'd only ever hold buttons and miscellaneous sewing equipment.
ā@caitlinpavone: #growingupitalian this held the sewing kit not cookies āššššššššššš
25. Regardless of where you grew up, you probably had some long-lost relatives in Griffith.
26. And there was definitely always that one Aussie kid that asked if you had any family in the mafia.
Having a friend who ask you if someone in your family is in the mafia #growingupitalian
No. No.
27. As you got older, you were lectured on finding a nice Italian or European partner to settle down with.
28. And once you hit your twenties, your grandparents would start asking you when their future great-grandchildren were going to arrive.
29. But at the end of the day, you know there's nothing better than going home to your big, extended Italian family.
