The culture of the Vatican is obvious and not so in many matters. Since the state is run by the Catholic Church it is safe to say that the majority of the inhabitants of the Vatican City are Catholic, meaning it is a Catholic country. The ethnicity of this small country is mostly Italian with little pockets of other ethnicities seeking the church. Since the Vatican City was part of Italy not long ago, they share the same culture. In the Vatican the majority of the population is clergy and nuns. They have a constant birth rate of…….0! In this small country first impressions are highly valued and much pressure is put upon them. Many office/business buildings have religious symbols present within the building. More on religion, almost every day of the year has a saint associated with it. Going along with this tradition, many people are named after a saint and celebrate their saint's day as if it were their own birthday. Each trade within the Vatican City also has a saint. Also, respecting elders is a very important part of Vatican life. In the Vatican City respect is very important in general. Greetings are enthusiastic yet formal, while one is expected to wait to get familiar with someone. Table manners are mainly continental except for the fact that it is rude to rest your hands under the table. And if invited to a dinner one is expected to follow the hostess. The Vatican Culture mainly centers around the church and also Italy.

Well, I never saw the inside of St. Peter's but if I had, I'd tell you how amazingly divine it was. I'd have seen one of the greatest cultural and religious sights in the world... if I'd been wearing pants (I mean as opposed to shorts. No, I wasn't in my undies, although that does sound kindof like fun). So if you trek over to Vatican City, wear long pants. Trust me.