Everyone is fascinated by this Italian tradition of taking a walk. For Italians, who have been walking through the city streets for centuries, it is a normal routine.
But how did this tradition of walking come about?
We must start from the original terminology of this tradition: "lo struscio". This onomatopoeic term indicates "rubbing shoes on the pavement", indeed rubbing.
Which makes this story even more fascinating. Struscio is an ancient tradition not only in Naples and begins to be used during the Easter period. In fact, Holy Thursday in the Easter tradition is the liturgy of Holy Week in which the faithful are expected to visit the tombs in the churches, which must be at least three and always in an odd number.
This religious walk, in which most people showed off the so-called "good dress", also extended to a shopping trip in the main streets of the city. The sound of the shoes of this crowd of people, the chatter and greeting every few steps, made the street a harmonious and noisy party.
The Evolution of the “struscio”
Over time, struscio has evolved, detaching itself from religious events, to become an Italian custom linked to a series of pleasures:
Walk after eatingWalking to “waste time”Walk around to shopGo for a walk to visit friends and relativesTake a walk to get some fresh air
Walk after eating
A habit that in recent times doctors have defined as healthy and useful for digestion. In Italy, when eating out at the end of the meal, "taking a walk" is the minimum goal of people. This walk after lunch or an Italian dinner is useful for "recovering" from the sumptuous meal and, often incredibly, ends with a stop at the ice cream vendor "just to sweeten the mouth".
In general, we must say this for the record, even after a light and fleeting lunch there is the desire to walk, above all to recover and be ready to go back to work. In this case you treat yourself to a good coffee
Walking to “waste time”
The virtue of idleness is a Latin faculty of filling time in some way, even without doing anything. Often in Italy when you have nothing to do or want to "waste time" you go for a walk. Without aim, without purpose. Simply to fill the time without getting bored. These walks often end in an aperitif or ice cream, but always without obligation