How do you say “make a wish” in Italian?

English makes a wish; Italian expresses one. Over the candles or under a shooting star, the line is esprimi un desiderio! — from esprimere, “to express,” plus desiderio, “wish.” Fare un desiderio is heard too, but esprimere is the set phrase, and it quietly tells you that a wish in Italian is something you put into words, even if only silently.

The star is arguably inside the noun: desiderio is traditionally traced to Latin de- plus sidus / sidera, “the stars” — longing aimed at the sky. Italians do their wishing on the stelle cadenti of 10 August, the notte di San Lorenzo. In this bedtime story a sleepless little girl looks up at the shy star and “sorrise, espresse un desiderio e si addormentò serenamente.”