This past weekend, I was supposed to have a friend visit me in New York. Her flight was canceled, as was her backup flight.
I was disappointed and, of course, sad not to spend time with my friend. But after the initial disappointment, I realized I had unexpectedly been given something else: a completely open weekend.
Instead of immediately trying to fill the unexpected free time, I decided to let the weekend unfold without much of an agenda.
I slept in. I read a book. I went for a run. I watched a show. I wandered around my neighborhood and popped into a few stores. I spent time outside. I cooked and ate a good meal. Some things were planned, but much of the weekend was simply dictated by what I felt like doing in the moment.
None of it was particularly remarkable. And that was exactly what made it so enjoyable.
It reminded me of an Italian tradition: Ferragosto.
What is Ferragosto?
Every August, the world seems to slow down. People go on vacation, the days seem to last a little longer, and even the pace of work slows as people make more time to be outside and spend time with loved ones to enjoy the last long stretch of summer.
In Italy, this concept is taken to another level with the celebration of Ferragosto.
Celebrated on August 15, Ferragosto is one of Italy’s most beloved summer traditions. It marks the height of summer and is a time when much of the country pauses so people can rest, travel, gather with family and friends, and enjoy the simple pleasures of the season. In many places, shops, businesses, and restaurants close for days or even weeks as owners and employees take their own vacations and head to the sea or countryside.
A friend of mine experienced this firsthand when she visited Italy last summer. She had a magical trip, but was surprised to discover that several of the restaurants and shops she had researched were closed. Their owners and shopkeepers had simply “gone to the sea.”
Honestly, I can’t think of a better reason to close up shop.
I love this Italian approach to summer. Rather than treating rest as something we have to earn once everything else is finished, Ferragosto makes space for leisure simply because it is summer. There is no productivity goal attached to a long lunch, an afternoon swim, a walk with nowhere to go, or an evening spent sitting around the table.
And while most of us can’t exactly disappear to the Italian coast for two weeks, we can borrow a little of that spirit wherever we are.
Create your own Ferragosto
We are so accustomed to structuring our time around plans, commitments, and productivity that having a completely open stretch of time can almost feel uncomfortable. When plans fall through, our instinct can be to immediately replace them with something else.
But what if we didn't? What if an empty calendar wasn't something to fix, but something to enjoy?
You don't need a plane ticket to Italy to embrace the spirit of Ferragosto. You don't even need a full day. Pick a morning, an afternoon, or a weekend and leave a little room for things to unfold.
You might:
- Sleep in.
- Read a good book.
- Take a walk with no destination.
- Watch a show you've been meaning to watch.
- Stroll around your neighborhood and bop into stores.
- Cook and eat a leisurely meal.
- Go for a run simply because it feels good.
- Take a swim.
- Lie in the sun.
- Or, perhaps most importantly, do absolutely nothing for a little while.
The point isn't to create the perfect day of relaxation. In fact, that would be missing the point entirely.
It's about giving yourself permission to enjoy time that doesn't need to be productive.
So this August, consider taking a page from the Italians. Close the laptop. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Sleep in. Wander. Jump in a pool. Read. Cook something delicious. Sit outside. Say yes to the afternoon nap.
And if your plans happen to fall through? Maybe don't rush to make new ones.
You may be surprised by how good it feels to have nowhere to be and nothing you need to accomplish.
Sometimes, the sweetest summer days are the ones we never planned.
Buon Ferragosto!
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