In the infinite variations of social customs, often so subtle that they escape even the eyes of sociologists themselves, there are changes that quietly creep into everyday life until they become an integral part of the cultural landscape. Sometimes they are not even noticed, like the extra centimeter that a teenager gains during puberty without anyone noticing.
A historical episode helps to remind us of this: in 1960, Giancarlo Pajetta, a leading figure in the Italian Communist Party, declared in a television interview that “Italians have never had it so good.” It was the Italy of the economic boom, of confidence in the future, of black-and-white television. Today, without any proclamations, an equally revealing sign of widespread well-being manifests itself in a habit that has quietly entered our lives: the aperitif.
What was once the preserve of the elite, a bourgeois ritual reserved for the few, has become a widespread, democratic, almost daily practice. The aperitif, and in its more modern form the “apericena,” is now a lighthearted interlude that belongs to all social classes: a time to socialize, relax, meet after work, get to know each other, start relationships, or simply take a breather before heading home.
Of course, like many other customs, it has Anglo-Saxon and international roots. But in Italy, it has taken on a very special flavor, becoming a ritual that combines conviviality, food, and conversation. Not only that, it has replaced old practices such as “coffee to talk business” or after-dinner gatherings with friends, becoming in turn a symbolic place where important conversations take place and bonds are formed.
While in big cities it can take on the contours of luxury, with high costs in the most prestigious venues, in 80% of cases it remains an accessible, popular ritual, which nevertheless generates billions of euros in turnover. Restaurateurs know this well: the aperitif is no longer just a glass accompanied by an olive, but an economic and cultural pillar of the sector.
So, rather than a passing fad, it is a sign of the times. A subtle but eloquent indicator of the changing Italian lifestyle, which deserves to be considered in social, cultural, market, and even political analyses.
Because sometimes history is not only measured by major events, but also by small everyday gestures that become tradition.
