Party guests mingle through the celebration.

If you want to throw an Italian-theme dinner party, make it more authentic by keeping these customs in mind:

• There's an Italian saying: "If you tie an Italian's hands behind his back, he becomes mute."
  
• Avoid wrapping gifts in purple — the color is considered a symbol of bad luck.
  
• Limoncello has become Italy's second most popular drink after Campari.
  
• Mascarpone is a soft, white, delicate cream cheese from the Lombardy region of Southern Italy.
  
• Azzurro, a light blue, is the national color of Italy.
  
• The most popular Italian herb is basil, said to symbolize love and fertility.
  
• The best pasta is 100 percent semolina or durum, which retains its shape when cooked.
  
• In Italy it is considered proper to eat pasta with only a fork, not a fork and a spoon.
  
• The proper way to say "goodbye" in Italian is, "Arriverderci."