In Italy, most people speak Italian. However, in Palermo some people speak a special Sicilian language, which is a mix of Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Greek. You can hear Sicilian in everyday conversations and greetings when people are talking in Italian. Many close friends and colleagues greet each other with ‘cumpà’ (pronounced Kom-puh), meaning friend or pal. Also, many Italians speak English because they learn it in school from a young age.
The euro is the official currency here in Italy and in many countries in Europe. One euro today is worth 1.16 dollars. Most shops here accept cards, and cash is used less often. However, unlike in the U.S., there are one and two euro coins that people often use for a caffè (coffee) or to buy small items.
A bottle of water costs more if you buy it from a restaurant or a small shop, and can be about 1 euro. If you buy big bottles from the grocery store, they cost a lot less. In Palermo, people don’t drink the water from the sink because it can have tiny germs and bacteria that will make you sick. So, families buy bottles of water from the store and carry them home to drink.
