If you’re coming to Italy in December you will probably get to celebrate Capodanno (that is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) with us. And, trust me, you’re going to have a lot of fun! After all, it’s a night when everyone, from Milan to Naples, lets loose and eats way too much good food.
But that’s not all, we also follow a surprising (or maybe not) number of little rituals that are said to bring good luck for the next year. You can call it superstition, but for us Italians, it’s more about traditions. Over the years and centuries, we’ve built and mixed up all our little “rituals”, and I can bet there’s no one that doesn’t follow at least one of them!
So, how do we celebrate? Let’s find it out together!
Let’s start with the most famous and easy to follow tradition: Italians like to wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve. So if you’re wondering why all the shops are full with red lingerie and boxers (and I’m not joking, they are literally everywhere) now you have your answer. It’s simply a tradition.
Now, the rule is pretty simple: if you want some good luck for the year ahead, you must wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve. And who doesn’t want a bit more good luck? The idea comes from ancient Rome, where red symbolized good fortune, strength, fertility, and protection from evil spirits. But nowadays, it has become less a means to ward off evil and more like a way to attract love and prosperity. However, there’s also a catch. For it to really really work, the underwear should be new (capitalism anyone?) and given as a gift. If you buy it yourself, the magic of the red underwear doesn’t work. Don’t ask why, it’s just the way it goes. So, don’t be surprised if a friend or family member gets you some red underwear before New Year’s Eve: they want to boost your good luck for the coming year!
No Italian New Year’s Eve dinner is complete without lentils and cotechino (a slow-cooked, spiced pork sausage that will make you forget your diet resolutions). Want to know why? Well, lentils are round and “golden” right? Basically, they look like coins. And that’s why we believe that eating them right at midnight, or even a little bit after, brings money and abundance for the year to come. Naturally we eat a lot of them!
Traditionally, lentils are served with cotechino. That’s for a few different reasons:
If you’re in Italy on December 31st, you’ll hear fireworks long before midnight. In some cities, they start early in the evening and keep going until the sunrise!
They’re fun and beautiful to look at, but the idea behind all this noise goes back centuries: loud noises were thought to scare away evil spirits (and not only in Italy!). Today, however, that’s just an excuse to light up the sky, send the bad things away, and welcome the new year with some good energy.
Every single Italian city does it differently. In Naples, for example, the fireworks are on a different level and sometimes feel like a competition between neighborhoods and friends. In Rome and other bigger cities, people gather in squares to listen to live music, drink, and look at the sky. And even in small villages there’s always someone that brings out firecrackers and sparklers for the kids. Yes, it’s noisy, but it wouldn’t feel like Capodanno without it!
This is one of those traditions that sounds crazy and surprises most foreigners. In parts of Lazio and Campania, people used to literally throw their old things out of the window to symbolically let go of the past year. And yes, that meant anything from plates to clothes, even old furniture: anything you no longer needed would “fly” out of the window.
Nowadays, this practice has become less common (for obvious safety reasons, we don’t want to risk injuring anyone after all) but the meaning behind it still remains. We clear our closets, donate what can be donated, throw away anything that’s broken, or simply tidy up the house before December 31st. It helps you start the year with a clean slate and, honestly, there’s really something strangely satisfying in starting “anew”!
Okay, this one isn’t only Italian but when midnight finally strikes there’s something you have to do: kiss your partner, or really, anyone you want to share the moment with!
Why do we do it? It’s pretty simple. To wish for more connection, love, and harmony in the year to come. It’s a way to hope you’ll spend the next year with that very specific person. And I think it’s kind of sweet, don’t you?
But what if you’re single? Don’t worry. There’s probably a drunk friend or relative around that’s just ready to grab you and give you a big friendly kiss on the cheeks. Maybe you’ll not spend the next year with your lover, but at least you’ve got your friend and family with you!
Let’s talk about a small “superstition” not even many Italians know about: on the first day of the year, you should go outside with some money in your pocket. It can be anything, from a few coins up to a big note, but make sure to have something with you so that you don’t end up being broke in the upcoming year. After all, “if you start poor, you end poor” as many Italian grandmas say.
What’s more, the first person you meet while on the street will bring good or bad luck:
No one takes it seriously, but still, if you spot an old man on the corner you might be off to a good start!
Last but not least, another tradition that involves food. In Italy we have this habit of eating a pomegranate at the end of the year (and also the beginning of the next one). And I think you can guess the reason: it symbolizes fertility, health, and prosperity.
Some people mix up Italian and Spanish tradition and eat twelve seeds at midnight, others use them to decorate desserts or salads hoping they will bring abundance and harmony to their life. And if you happen to be in Southern Italy, be sure that someone will bring out a pomegranate at the end of the meal. It’s one of those small customs that you don’t even notice at first, but if it brings good luck it’s worth trying right?
Like everything in Italy, even our New Year’s celebrations and traditions can vary from region to region. The main traditions stay the same, but the daily celebrations are what really make the difference!
Basically, no matter where you are, you’ll find parties, toasts, and fireworks everywhere. And you really get to start the year surrounded by happy people!
You should get it by now, but let’s make a small recap of the perfect New Year’s Eve, Italian style:
If you do even half of those, you’ll be celebrating Capodanno like a true Italian!
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