Sometimes phrases convey a meaning that goes beyond their literal one.
No matter of well you know a language, there’ll always be hues of meaning that you might not immediately get until a native explains them to you or until you spend some time in the country where such language is spoken.
Helping you dive deeper into these hidden shades of the Italian language is the purpose of this series of posts, which I started a while ago. The phrase that first gave me the idea for such series was “metti su l’acqua“, which literally means put the water on, referring to the water for pasta.
After this phrase, I selected “ci prendiamo un caffè?“, which is a question we always use when we want to propose to someone to have a coffee. Then came “io porto le paste“, which has to do with Sunday lunches and spending time with family and friends – something we Italians give great importance to.
Some time has gone since my last post because I didn’t seem to find another good phrase to be used. And then I found it: the phrase I chose for today’s post is “facciamo merenda?“, where merenda literally means afternoon snack or tea snack and is actually a way to propose to someone to have some snacks together.
But there’s more, of course.
Merenda is a word that makes you immediately think of your childhood. Merenda is much more than a snack: it is the little meal your mother or grandmother would prepare for you in the middle of the afternoon – usually around 4 pm. It would most likely consist of something sweet, a homemade cake, some cookies or – if you were really lucky – bread and Nutella. You might also get something to drink, like some tea or fruit juice.
When we were kids, we would usually come home from school around 12.30 pm, eat our lunch, do our homework and then wait for merenda, which actually marked the beginning of the rest of the afternoon, when you could play, watch TV or just go out and do some sports. Having merenda was not just a way to fill our hungry stomachs, but also a relaxing moment where we could stop thinking about what we had to do and start planning games and fun stuff.
The only moment Italian kids hated merenda was in the summertime, when you were at the beach, because if you had merenda it would then mean that you had to wait a few hours before being able to go into the water again.
Therefore, that slice of bread and Nutella eaten under the beach umbrella had some kind of bittersweet feeling with it: it was a nice treat after a hours spent playing in the water but also a sign that you should find something else to entertain you instead of going back into the sea.
Some of you might think “well, why don’t you refuse to have merenda, then?”. If you think so, you probably have never had something to do with an Italian mother. As a kid, you can’t refuse food.
The biggest issue for Italian mothers – at least of those belonging to the older generations – was having a kid who didn’t eat enough. So the habit of having merenda was forged into our DNA one slice of bread and Nutella at a time.
This is why we are so fond of this habit and why, when we ask someone “facciamo merenda?” it doesn’t just mean let’s eat something, but also let’s get cosy and treat ourselves with something sweet and nice, taking some time to savor our food and taking a break from daily routine.
We might not be able to have merenda every day, due to our busy routines, but when we do, it’s like going back to those days when we would eat our sweet treats while watching cartoons on tv.
But tell me, is there a similar habit in your culture? Let me know!
If you are interested in working on the Italian grammar and want to focus on some specific topics, I suggest you check Ti aiuto io, my online Italian language tutoring service.
If you purchase Ti aiuto io, I will work as your private tutor, giving you tasks and homework and spending time over Skype with you to clarify and work together on each topic.
If you want to give it a try, you can request a 30-minute free chat, so that we can meet each other and see if you like the service.
Our family name is Mirenda, so I knew this translation well. We are from Sicily ! Enjoy your pisy?
Should say *posts
Thank you so much, I am happy you like my posts! And so glad you know what merenda means! 🙂
Have a nice day.
Cinzia
Sorry for commenting so late but I had been meaning to read this post for the longest time.
It’s really beautiful and my favorite part was this ” So the habit of having merenda was forged into our DNA one slice of bread and Nutella at a time.”
I love how you convey the rituals behind this tiny meal and talk about the memories. Thanks!
Oh, Elfin. Your comment made my day, thank you so much!
I am 3rd generation Italian-American and yes, we always had a snack when we returned from school. We had lunch at school, usually a sandwich and milk and some fruit or cookies (or in high school a terrible cafeteria “hot lunch”) but we were always hungry by the time we returned home at 3:30 or even 4:00! So a snack was essential to keep us going and (in my house) do our homework until dinner at (strictly) 6 PM. After dinner, we either had more homework or were free to do what we liked. I am amazed that school ended for you at 12:30! Also, I’d like to say, “sono d’accordo con Elfin.” Your writing really has a way of transporting me directly to Italy!