New Year called in Italy Capodanno(Capodanno), which can be translated as “head of the year.” They celebrate it at the same time as us, on the night of December 31st to January 1st.
Italy is a Catholic country. The New Year is celebrated in the middle of the festive period, which begins on December 24 at Christmas and ends on January 6, the feast of St. Epiphany (the day of the Epiphany).
Christmas in Italy – family holiday. The New Year is celebrated more democratically, among friends.
Symbols of the Italian New Year include Babbo Natale, panettone and red linen.
What to cook for the New Year in Italy
There should be 13 dishes on the table, but this custom is observed extremely rarely. Following traditions extends to the choice of food and drinks.
New Year's dinner is called the dinner of St. Sylvester, a priest who, according to legend, passed away on December 31.
It is customary to start dinner with stuffed pork legs "zampone"(zampone). Towards the end of the festive feast, it is customary to serve dishes made from pork head and very fatty, spicy pork sausages. "cotechino"(kotekino).
Served at the New Year's table:
- lentils;
- white beans;
- beans with honey;
- nuts;
- fish roe.
Italians do not eat chicken on New Year's Eve - this is considered a bad omen.
Grapes must be present on the table. There is quite a funny tradition associated with it. During the farewell to the old year, everyone who wants to attract good luck prepares 12 grapes. At the onset of the New Year, you need to have time to swallow these berries while the chimes strike. If everything goes well, the year will be successful.
Desserts and pastries served on the New Year's table are Christmas:
- Panettone(panettone) - a rich cupcake with raisins, nuts and candied fruits.
- Torrone(Torrone) is a dessert reminiscent of halva made from sugar, honey, raisins and almonds, which was enjoyed back in the days of Ancient Rome.
- Pandoro- “golden bread”, to which a lot is added butter. This gives the baked goods a golden color.
- Ricciarelli(Ricciarelli) are very tasty almond cookies.
There is complete anarchy when it comes to drinks on New Year's Eve in Italy. Followers of traditions prefer to drink wine at the festive table. In some regions, it is customary to drink beer immediately after the New Year. Champagne is used in a very unique way. This drink is drunk on New Year's Eve by those who celebrate in the central squares. In Italy, it is customary to pour champagne on each other, causing bottles and glasses to break into pieces. Everything happens fun and noisy.
Celebration traditions and signs associated with the New Year
The most famous legend that Italians throw old things out of windows on New Year's Eve has long been untrue. For such actions there is a serious fine, and common sense doesn't allow it.
It is customary to celebrate the New Year in red underwear; many people, both women and men, adhere to this tradition. On the eve of the holidays, most companies give employees small gifts, usually cheese, sweets, and champagne.
In order to attract good luck to the house, during a festive dinner it is customary to place coins on the windowsill and place lit candles on them. New Year trees stand in houses, courtyards and city squares. Everything is decorated with red ribbons, garlands, and New Year's wreaths. Flowers are planted under the trees. A fun tradition is to decorate the Venetian lions, they are given white beards and red caps are put on their heads.
Festive illumination illuminates absolutely all the streets, thousands of garlands wrap around the facades of buildings and trees. Everywhere you can see figures of Santa Clauses trying to climb onto the balcony or climb up the pipe.
All the delights of the New Year in Italy in this video.
Italians celebrate the New Year at home and in restaurants, but many people celebrate in city squares. Dancing is very popular on this night, and musicians perform.
You can see how the New Year celebrations take place in the squares of Italian cities in the video. Holiday mood will be passed on to you too. Enjoy watching!
Italians celebrate very noisily and cheerfully, with laughter. Fireworks are launched all night, firecrackers and firecrackers rattle. The deafening roar does not subside until the morning. All this noise and farce, splashes of champagne and broken glass should scare away evil spirits and attract wealth and prosperity. Fireworks displays are especially beautiful in Naples.
There is a very funny tradition in Rome - in order to have good luck throughout the year, the bravest people jump from a bridge into the Tiber River on New Year's Eve.
It is very important for Italians who they meet first on the street on January 1st. It is considered a good omen to see an old man; if he is hunchbacked, it is generally wonderful. The year will be unlucky if the first person you meet is a child or a monk.At the New Year's celebration you must.
Traditional Happy New Year greetings in Italy
"Buon Anno!" Italians shout to each other on New Year's Eve. Buon Anno means Happy New Year. “Buon Natale” is also heard everywhere, Buon Natale can be translated as a wish for a Merry Christmas. “Tanti auguri”(tanti auguri) - “congratulations” - also suitable for other holidays.
Babbo Natale with fairy Befana
Italians actively give gifts to each other at Christmas, so this is no longer customary for New Year. Gifts for children at Christmas Babbo Natale – fairy tale character, very similar to Santa Claus. Babbo Natale is dressed in a red suit, a white beard is also present, Babbo Natale travels on a sleigh drawn by reindeer.
To receive a gift, little Italians must write a letter to their kind grandfather. There are two versions of the origin of this character.
Legend connects Babbo Natale with Saint Nicholas, who lived in the 3rd century AD. After his death, the Saint's relics were stolen by Italian knights and kept in the southern Italian city of Bari.
The second version claims that Babbo Natale was borrowed from the Americans.
Children also receive gifts on January 6, the day of St. Epiphany. The kind one gives them fairy Befana, who is very similar in appearance to our Baba Yaga. Befana wanders around Italy from January 1st to 6th, after which she sneaks into houses at night and puts gifts in stockings; naughty children risk finding a coal in the stocking instead of a gift in the morning.
Befana has its own history. According to legend, she wanted to go with the Magi to the newborn Jesus. They did not take Befana with them, so she decided to stay in Italy, fell in love with this country and since then has been giving gifts to obedient children and punishing young hooligans.
There is another version of events, according to which Befana herself refused to visit little Jesus and since then has been looking into all the houses in the hope of finding his cradle.
It is impossible to imagine New Year's celebration traditions without these two fairy-tale characters.
The sweet tradition was preserved and spread to the cities among the rural residents of Italy. On January 1st people come to visit from clean water. There is even a saying about this: “If you have nothing to give to the owners of the house, give new water with an olive branch.”
Weather in Italy for the New Year
Winters in Italy are warm. Snow lies only in the north and in the Alps; the traditional New Year can be spent at one of their ski resorts.
Most of the country will greet you with an air temperature of +8...10°C. Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany celebrate New Year without snow. In Tuscany there is wonderful tradition bonfires are lit on New Year's Eve, residents dance around them until the morning.
Ask any resident of sunny Italy a question about their favorite holidays, and he will definitely be the first to name Christmas, called here “Natale”, and New Year, which in Italian sounds like “Capodanno”. These holidays are so loved by Italians that they begin to look forward to them almost from the very beginning of autumn, buying gifts in advance and inviting family and friends to visit.
If Christmas is considered a quiet, family holiday and filled with a spiritual component, then on New Year's Day Italians give themselves complete freedom to express emotions - the holiday is celebrated with noise and fun. This happens not simply because the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula are known for their cheerful disposition and emotionality, but at the behest of local traditions.
Italian New Year is a colorful and incredibly noisy holiday
Italians believe that on the eve of the new calendar period It is imperative to get rid of negativity, boredom and self-criticism, and also drive away adversity with loud laughter. And this is far from the only and, of course, not the most unusual New Year’s tradition among Italians! So let's plunge into the atmosphere of the Italian New Year and talk about it in a little more detail.
New Year's celebrations in Italian
Holiday celebrations in this country are almost as long as the holidays that residents of the post-Soviet space look forward to - it all starts on December 24, when they celebrate bright holiday Catholic Christmas, and the period of winter celebrations ends on January 6 (on this day Italians celebrate the Epiphany).
The very word “Capodanno”, which the people of Italy call the New Year, has several interpretations. Some scientists believe that this is how the name was transformed for the celebration of the name of St. Sylvester, which falls on exactly this date. Others say that everything is explained by a simple translation, which sounds like “head of the year.” The second explanation seems quite logical.
It is customary to celebrate the New Year in Italy quite early. We are all waiting for the president to speak and give the go-ahead for the celebration to begin. Italians are an impatient people, so already at nine in the evening the company sits down at the festive table. New Year is not a family holiday; it is celebrated in big company friends or go to a restaurant, bar or club.
The Christmas tree in Italy is always installed in the most significant places of the city.
Traditionally, huge New Year trees are installed in all cities and towns, and streets, houses and trees are decorated with garlands, light bulbs, red ribbons and wreaths. In the southernmost regions, fresh flowers are even planted in flower beds. Large-scale celebrations and concerts are held on the main square of large cities.
Of course, every corner of Italy has its own unique traditions for celebrating the New Year. So, the Venetians decorate statues of lions guarding the Palazzo - they put red caps on the heads of the animals, and snow-white beards are glued to their muzzles. In addition, in Venice it is customary to decorate numerous balconies with small potted Christmas trees.
In Umbria, there is an even more unusual approach to the holiday - local churches organize jazz concerts, and the Tuscans light huge bonfires, around which all the villagers gather to dance until dawn. There are also widespread traditions of celebrating the New Year, which we will talk about later.
Who brings gifts for the New Year?
What New Year would be complete without a good winter wizard? Italy is no exception, only he is called here by the name of Babbo Natale. Babbo appeared among the Italians not so long ago - literally at the beginning of the 20th century, when the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula borrowed the New Year's character from the Americans.
Babbo Natale is very similar to his colleague from the United States - he also laughs cheerfully, rides a reindeer and wears a red jacket and pants. In addition, you can write him a letter with requests by dropping the message in a special mailbox. If the child behaves well, he will certainly find a surprise in the red sock that the parents hung up on the eve of the holiday.
A much more ancient and significant character who brings gifts to children is the Fairy Befana. It should be said that New Year gifts for Italians are the exception rather than the rule. They may be a small pleasant surprise. The main gifts are given to each other at Christmas, and children are also given gifts at Epiphany.
In Italy, children ask Babbo Natale and the fairy Befana for gifts.
These are delivered by Befana, who, although considered a good fairy, looks more like our Baba Yaga. Her nose is hooked and long, her teeth are quite impressive in size, and even stick out! Befana wears a cloak of black material, a pointed hat on her head, and wool stockings with holes on her legs. The fairy moves with the help of a broom.
On Christmas Eve, children read letters to Befana. In these messages you need not just ask for a gift, but also express love and gratitude to your parents. Before going to bed, the letter is placed under the pillow. At night, Befana flies around all the houses in Italy, where she easily enters with the help of a magic golden key. Children who have behaved well all year will find gifts in their stockings in the morning, while naughty kids receive only ash and coals from the fairy.
New Year's feast in Italian
The Italian New Year's table is about generosity, abundance and variety. The feast is called St. Sylvester's dinner and certainly has a damn dozen dishes. Among the obligatory delicacies to be served are nuts, lentil dishes and ripe grapes, which among Italians symbolize a long, healthy and prosperous life. You need to eat as much lentils and fish roe as possible, as this is the key to wealth in the new year.
For the holiday, be sure to bake pork legs and prepare homemade sausages. After the clock strikes twelve, the main dish - a baked pig's head - is brought in on a large platter. Such an abundance of pork on the Italian table is not accidental - local residents they believe that this will give strength for new achievements, because pigs move forward slowly but persistently.
The Italian New Year's table is replete with pork dishes and pastries
But they don’t cook chicken for the New Year - Italians associate this bird with timidity and stupidity. The New Year's table is not complete without seafood, beans with honey (for the sweet life) and beans. Every housewife considers it her duty to bake meat pies and buns. But celebrating a holiday with champagne, especially French, is bad manners in Italy!
Local residents, not without reason, believe that the generous land and hot sun make it possible to grow the best grape varieties on the Apennine Peninsula, so they drink only the products of the national producer. In some areas of Italy, it is customary to celebrate the onset of the New Year not even with wine, but with beer, so that later the whole year will be under the wing of fortune.
After dinner, no one stays at home, staring at the TV, as our compatriots often do. Young and old go to the streets and squares to continue dancing and having fun. Of course, the largest celebrations take place in the central square of Rome - Piazza del Popolo.
Italians are famous for their eccentricities on New Year's Day too.
Italy has many amazing New Year's traditions. Some of them are truly Christian, others owe their origin to pagan beliefs, and others successfully intertwine the features of both religions. That is why celebrating the holiday in Italy is a great chance to get acquainted with the eccentricities of the local population. Among the unusual traditions it is worth mentioning:
- noisy fireworks. It seems that on the night of New Year the whole country is illuminated by the lights of thousands of fireworks, and the roar until the morning is as if they were firing from cannons! The tradition is based on the belief that only fire and noise can scare away evil spirits. It is believed that the most beautiful fire show can be seen in Naples;
- beliefs on the first of January. Residents of Italy, just like us, believe that how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it - only this applies to the first of January. Not a single Italian will ever start work on this day, plan any business, lend or borrow money. On January 1, everyone continues to celebrate, and housewives prepare another festive dish - bake a turkey. In addition, a holiday falls on this date world day peace, in honor of which the Pope celebrates a solemn mass in the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter;
- linen the color of fire. Emotional Italians firmly believe in the magic of the color red, symbolizing passionate feelings, warmth, strength, assertiveness and energy, and believe that it will definitely bring good luck. On New Year's Day you can meet a huge number of people wearing clothes of all shades of red. At the same time, it is worth wearing red lingerie (this is one of the most popular gifts for Christmas). In 2017, adopting this Italian tradition will come in handy, because the Fire Rooster who simply loves the color red;
- coins and lights. Italians are ready to go to great lengths to lure wealth into their home and gain the favor of fortune. So, for example, on each windowsill they lay out a couple of coins and light a candle so that good luck does not pass by their home;
- "new water" The tradition of bringing fresh water home is one of the oldest. She is still alive in many villages in Italy, in which every first of January children, boys and girls go to the springs in order to bring new water into the house before sunset;
- sign of the first person you meet. For Italians, it is important who they see first on the street in the new year. It's best if the first one is elderly man(preferably also with a hump) - this meeting promises a happy and prosperous period. It’s not bad to see a pretty young girl, but the priest who was the first to meet on the way on the first of January is an extremely bad sign;
- a dozen grapes. Unlike our compatriots who write when the clock strikes cherished wish on a napkin, then set it on fire, mix the ashes with champagne and drink a drink to make your dreams come true, the Italians make it much simpler. Before the chimes begin to strike, they prepare a dozen grapes, each of which must be eaten at one of the strikes. By the way, many restaurants and shops offer a specially designed “dish” before the New Year - skewers with twelve berries. A very convenient option for absorbing grapes, because you will definitely be sure that the berry will not roll away at the wrong moment, bringing about a bad year;
- getting rid of old furniture. Everyone is aware of this ancient tradition of the Italian people. Before the New Year, they strive to free their lives from the old in order to expel, along with the trash, the negativity accumulated over the year. Guides still warn tourists not to walk around under windows and balconies on New Year's Eve - the risk of getting hit in the head with an old chair or, what is much worse, a closet is too high! However, in large cities this tradition has long outlived its usefulness, and furniture has become too expensive to be thrown out of windows once a year. But in small towns with strong patriarchal foundations, you may well be covered with old torn trousers, or get a bump because of a thrown out bowl. However, they no longer throw large objects.
Italians make a wish by eating 12 grapes while the clock strikes.
As you can see, the New Year in Italy is a real event, fun and filled with very interesting entertainment. To fully immerse yourself in New Year's atmosphere in Italian, you should visit this amazing country at least once in your life on the night of December 31 to January 1.
Italians love holidays, and Christmas or New Year is no exception. The festival of La Festa di San Silvestro in Italy is celebrated on December 31st. The Romans prepare for the celebration with great excitement and joy. Preparations begin with cleaning houses and workplaces, decorating the city with garlands and paying a lot of attention to decorating the home.
Locals wear new clothes and exchange gifts on these days. Gifts generally play a very important role in attracting fortune to homes. People are very careful in choosing them for their loved ones; sweets, honey, dishes, gold, silver, money and lamps are considered “correct”. Each gift stands for something and has special functions, and this is the reason why Italians believe in finding happiness by giving and receiving them.
As with most Italian festivals, food plays a major role here. Families and friends gather together around a huge table. The star of the dinner is the lentil, symbolizing money and good luck for the coming year. Traditional dinners in many regions of Italy also include cotechino, homemade spiced sausage, or zampone, stuffed suckling pig. Pork symbolizes wealth in the coming year. And, of course, on every table you will see Spumante or Prosecco, local sparkling wines.
In Italy, New Year is a holiday filled with traditions. Want to get lucky this year? There is an old custom that is still followed in some places, especially in the south of the country, of throwing things out of the window - old pots, pans, clothes, household appliances and even furniture to symbolize readiness for the New Year. This is done in order to “let go” of past misfortunes and prepare yourself for the future. Although most Italians have abandoned the tradition, watch out for falling objects as you walk the streets on New Year's Eve!
Another interesting tradition is to wear red underwear on the holiday. It is believed that this will certainly bring you good luck in the coming year. Moreover, this applies to both men and women and explains why you see an abundance of these red clothing items in the windows at this time!
To ensure a sweet New Year, the ancient Romans gave each other jars of dates and figs in honey, along with bay leaves for good luck. What now? In Italy, almost nothing has changed, at least in Naples, where people still exchange figs wrapped in bay leaves. Another tradition is to burn a “Yule log” on the last day of the year. It turns out that evil spirits don't like fire! It is also a gesture of invitation to the Virgin Mary, who can warm the newborn Jesus next to a warm fire. Then, according to tradition, families would use the resulting ash as an amulet to protect the house from damage.
Italians believe that fireworks and lots of noise also “scare” evil spirits away. That's why on New Year's Day the whole sky lights up with numerous fireworks. Naples is especially good at this - it is considered to host some of the best and largest New Year's fireworks displays in Italy. In many cities, stages are installed in the central squares where festive concerts are held, or a large bonfire is lit, around which the festivities continue until the morning. In Rome, Milan, Bologna, Palermo and Naples, outdoor entertainment shows with many famous pop and rock bands are very popular. Families often host lotteries at home with prizes, similar to bingo. Italians party noisily until dawn to celebrate the first sunrise of the New Year.
Celebrations in Rome are traditionally held in Piazza del Popolo ("People's Square"). Huge crowds of revelers gather here, with music, dancing and, of course, fireworks. The holiday lasts until late at night, and on New Year's Day (while the adults are sleeping), children will be entertained in the square by clowns and acrobats. Another good place to celebrate is near the Colosseum on Via dei Fori Imperiali, where there is live music usually starting from around 8pm until midnight. You can enjoy an elegant evening with dinner in an excellent restaurant, with panoramic views of Rome and live jazz. Or go to the theater - many of them present holiday concerts and performances these days. Or spend time in one of the many nightclubs in Rome with incendiary parties until the morning. And in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo you can see the exhibition “100 Christmas Crèches” with traditional scenes of the Nativity of Christ from 100 regions of Italy and other countries of the world, which runs until January 8.
In the famous resort of Rimini on the Adriatic coast, which is so beloved and popular among tourists in the summer, in winter the most famous Italian nightclubs operate and are located best places for celebration. In addition, in addition to numerous discos and bars, an extensive entertainment program is organized on New Year's Eve in Piazza Fellini. The music and dancing never stops here, and at midnight you can watch the grandiose fireworks display over the sea.
Naples is known as one of the cities with the best fireworks displays on New Year's Eve. In addition, there are a lot of open music events, especially in Piazza del Plebiscito in the city center, where you can hear not only popular, but also classical, folk and rock music. And yes, be careful - in some areas of Naples people still throw their old things out of windows! Also here and in small towns nearby there is still a tradition similar to our caroling. Groups of amateur musicians (mostly children) go from house to house, playing and singing Christmas songs. So that luck does not leave you in the coming year, you must definitely thank them with a small gift of money or candy. On the island of Capri near Naples, local folk groups typically perform at the Piazzetta in Capri and Piazza Armando Diaz in Anacapri on January 1st.
Bologna traditionally celebrates the New Year with a procession with a "diver", a scary-looking stuffed animal decorated from horns to tail with flowers and ribbons. Church bells ring, spectators light candles and, of course, fireworks sparkle everywhere. The procession ends in the central Piazza Maggiore, where live music plays, performances take place, and a Christmas market is organized. At midnight, the effigy is solemnly thrown into the fire - Italians believe that all the hardships and troubles of the old year will burn with it.
Many restaurants in Venice go out of their way to create an unforgettable experience for their guests. And if you decide to celebrate the New Year in one of the local establishments - although it will cost you a pretty penny - it will be an unforgettable evening with many delicious dishes and fine wines. You can be sure of this and be sure to make your reservations ahead of time as the venues are extremely popular. On New Year's Day, however, many restaurants will be closed, but you can generally expect pizzerias, diners and Chinese restaurants to welcome tourists.
The central action for the New Year takes place in Venice in St. Mark's Square - a huge celebration with music, giant fireworks and huge groups of kissing couples at midnight. New Year's concerts take place at the La Fenice opera house from December 30 to January 1, and on New Year's Eve you can attend a large festive party here, which starts at 8 pm and continues until the morning. On New Year's Day, many swimmers take the scary plunge into the waters of Venice on Lido Beach. This is one of the best ways get rid of hangover!
In Pisa at this time there is a fireworks show over the Arno River in the very center of the city. And the Verdi Theater usually holds grandiose holiday concerts on New Year's Eve. Italy is a country of pleasure and fun, so it is not surprising that the New Year's celebrations here are noisy and fun.
Many restaurants in Florence prepare extravagant dishes for the big night. The fireworks start at midnight, and the best place to see them will be on one of the bridges on the Arno River. Florence usually holds public concerts in Piazza della Signoria and Piazza della Repubblica. One of the most popular clubs in Florence also hosts a big New Year's party.
The city of Turin, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, holds public celebrations in Piazza San Carlo, which you may recognize from the 2006 Winter Olympics. Live music, DJs, holiday parades and fireworks highlight the evening's events.
Discover Italian traditions and plunge into magical atmosphere this long-awaited holiday! No matter where in the country you find yourself at this time, staying there will leave you with a lot of impressions and positive emotions! Just don’t forget to prepare for your trip in advance - after all, huge crowds of tourists come to Italy on New Year’s Day. It should also be noted that driving and parking will be difficult (or even impossible) in most places, so plan your travel options according to public transport and remember that it too will be overcrowded.
Ah, Italy... A sunny country of fine wine and olive oil, attracting tourists with its rich architectural heritage. Italy is beautiful not only in summer. In winter, this country also attracts tourists. Going to Italy to celebrate the New Year is a decision, the implementation of which can guarantee the presence of vivid memories and a range of positive emotions.
Italian holiday atmosphere
A festive atmosphere hovers in every Italian city, starting with the Catholic city and ending with the city, which falls on January 6th.
Richly decorated decorations are installed in city squares. Christmas trees, next to which there is a small glass house - an exhibition telling about the visit of the Magi to Jesus Christ.
It is customary to organize flower beds under the trees. Even the Venetian lions dress up in New Year's hats and sport cotton wool beards.
And restaurants are decorated spruce wreaths, sparkling garlands and red ribbons. Residents of houses are also trying to keep up with the owners of shops and restaurants, competing to see whose balcony is decorated more beautifully.
And no one will forget to leave coins on the windowsill and lit ones - at random.
New Year's affairs
Before the New Year's feast (Saint Sylvester's dinner), every Italian still has a lot of things to do. First of all, don’t forget to throw away old things: furniture and other interior items, old clothes. True, household items no longer fly out of windows with a crash. Such an original attraction was banned long ago. Old and unnecessary things are simply displayed in front of the house.
Also, before midnight, it is traditional to break a certain amount of dishes. This tradition allows people to get rid of all negative emotions accumulated over the year.
New Year's feast
Now is the time to sit down at the table. On New Year's Day, every Italian family's tables are filled with generous treats. It's no secret that Italians are excellent cooks, so their generous and hearty New Year's table symbolizes prosperity and wealth.
The family sits down to the table early, at 9 pm. The feast continues until the New Year itself, which Italians will go to celebrate with relatives and friends in restaurants or in the square of their own city.
The most traditional dish that will be present on the table is a lentil dish.
Total for festive table there can be up to 13 different dishes, as well as nuts and grapes and fish roe. With the advent of the New Year, a rich, hearty dish - pork legs - is always served on the table. In some regions of Italy, an excellent foamy drink - beer - is added to pork legs.
Grapes play a special role on the festive table. Everyone for New Year's table They give out 12 grapes, which are eaten one at a time with each stroke of the clock. After the twelfth stroke, the lights in the house are turned off and the whole family goes to New Year's festivities.
Magnificent celebration
A holiday in city squares is not complete without colorful fireworks and firecrackers.
Festive treats continue in the squares; walkers are offered traditional pies: pannetone, richarelli, torrone and Italian wine.
In the squares, city residents dance and accompany the dance with loud claps, which drive away evil spirits.
People walking do their best to be the first to say hello to the oldest resident of the city, then happiness is guaranteed for the whole year. Residents of the city give each other a symbolic olive branch with a glass of clean water.
The arrival of January 1 is celebrated with a Mass in the Vatican, in St. Peter's Basilica. On January 1, Italy celebrates World Peace Day.
Italian Santa Claus
On New Year's Day, Babbo Natale (an analogue of Santa Claus) comes to every child in Italy with gifts. This kind grandfather in a red camisole comes to the children on a snow sleigh drawn by reindeer. However, the privilege of giving gifts to children belongs to Fairy Befana. Befana is extremely unattractive; her hooked nose and protruding teeth are not conducive to acquaintance. But the children look forward to it, hanging red and green stockings on the mantelpiece.
Carnivals are held on New Year's Eve and after it. Carnivals start on December 26 and last for several days. Every day, theatrical performances with characters from your favorite fairy tales take place on city streets.
The New Year reveals all the New Year's beauty of Italy, the generosity of this people. Spending the New Year in Italy is a magical journey to a beautiful…
Sunny and cheerful Italy winter holidays celebrates in a big way. If Christmas is purely a family celebration for residents of the country, then New Year is a great occasion to meet with friends and have fun to the fullest. Many travelers want to join the wild celebration, because according to Italian belief, life for a whole 12 months depends on the meeting place of the coming year! New Year in Italy– this is a real extravaganza, colorful fireworks and long celebrations.
Preparations for the winter holidays in Italy, as in other European countries, begin in advance. About a month before Christmas, buildings are decorated with thousands of garlands, shop windows are filled with presepios (nativity scenes - elaborate scenes of the birth of Jesus), and squares bloom with decorated Christmas trees. The beauty of the scenery would stand out even more clearly against the backdrop of snowdrifts, but the weather on New Year's Eve in Italy is usually windy and humid, the air temperature rarely drops to +8 degrees. A warm jacket and waterproof shoes won't hurt.
Babbo Natale and fairy Befana
Christmas sales start across the country on December 25, and Italian residents are actively purchasing New Year's gifts. Here it is customary to do everything on a grand scale, including congratulations. Babbo Natale brings presents to the children. By the way, young Italians are very lucky during the winter holidays: they are congratulated on Christmas, New Year and January 6th. On this day, the fairy Befana brings toys. The custom is associated with a semi-pagan tradition: the Magi (or kings in German tradition) went to visit little Jesus with gifts. On the way, they stopped at the house of a lonely old woman. Having told about the purpose of their journey, the Magi offered to join them, but elderly woman refused. Closing the door behind the travelers, she changed her mind and hurried to Bethlehem with gifts, but the holy family was no longer there. Since then, she has been wandering around the world, giving children toys and sweets in the hope of finding the divine baby. Outwardly, Befana resembles the Russian Baba Yaga with her hooked nose, hump, gray hair and rags, but she is very kind. The fairy loves obedient children and gives coals to pranksters, so Italian sellers are massively offering black caramels on the eve of January 6th.
Italian New Year traditions
At the table on New Year in Italy It is customary to sit down at 21:00 in order to have time to celebrate and pay tribute to the old year. The dishes always include caviar, lentils, smoked fish and baked chicken or turkey - this, according to legend, brings good luck and wealth. They will definitely cook something from pork - in their opinion, this animal is “constantly on the move,” that is, slowly but surely moving forward. The dishes are washed down with local wine, champagne or beer - the Italians call the latter drink “lucky home brew”, so they actively treat guests to it. It should be noted that the residents of this cheerful country are simply obsessed with attracting good luck in the coming year. For example, they try to celebrate the New Year in red - store shelves are simply overflowing with clothes and linen of the appropriate color. Harbingers of prosperity - candles and coins - are placed on the windowsills. With each stroke of the clock they eat a grape - it is believed that swallowing a berry at the same time as the last chime will bring happiness. And everyone knows the tradition of throwing old things out of windows - sofas, of course, no longer fly, since furniture is expensive, but someone’s pants may well fall on you.
Having celebrated the first minutes of the new year, Italians rush outside. The priests are sitting at home - woe to anyone who comes across them. But if someone’s hunchbacked grandfather crosses the road, then good luck will accompany you in all matters until December 31 next year.
On New Year in Italy It is customary to get to know each other in order to spend the most magical night together, so be prepared for unexpected meetings. Italians are especially hospitable and welcome tourists; feel free to respond to greetings: “Bon anno!” (“Have a good year!”).
Italians also set off firecrackers and fireworks en masse, believing that in this way they not only beautifully paint the sky, but also scare away evil spirits that play pranks throughout the year. And early in the morning on January 1, clean “new” water is brought to the house with an olive twig.
What to do on New Year's Eve
Many people celebrate the holiday in Rome at Piazza del Popolo (metro station Lepanto or Spagna). Here, champagne flows like a river, empty bottles break at the foot of the monument, and the most desperate and drunken citizens jump straight into the Tiber River. This bacchanalia frightens some people, so they relocate to the Colosseum area. There's a lovely cafe called the Roof Garden Hotel next to the Diana Hotel. You will find unforgettable views of Rome at night, delicious cuisine and a bill of at least 350 euros. Casa Coppelle on Piazza delle Coppelle is more affordable in terms of prices. Russian tourists like Il Chianti on Via delle Lavatore - there are many compatriots among the staff.
If you find yourself on new year holidays in Milan, feel free to go to the Duomo Cathedral square near the Duomo. Interesting events take place there: live music concerts, performances by dancers and acrobats, and various shows. The cathedral looks especially magical this night thanks to the lighting. You can meet cheerful local youth and go to the trendy club Capodanno a Milano.
In romantic Venice, the holiday moves to St. Mark's Square, where everyone unanimously counts down the seconds to the chimes of the 98-meter Campanile bell tower. At midnight, couples exchange kisses, and the sky lights up with thousands of sparks from fireworks.
