All New Years celebrations in Italy

Celebrating the New Year in Italy in many ways resembles his meeting in Russia, but still has its own national specifics. Perhaps the most original for the Russian people are the traditions of the Italians with regard to the formation of the festive menu, as well as the desire of the townspeople to throw old things out of the windows on New Year's Eve.

New Year in Italy, as in most of the world, is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. In fact, everything happens according to the usual scheme: the celebration begins with feasts that last from 21:00 to midnight, then the Italians exchange gifts and go out to the main squares of cities to watch numerous fireworks. Young people do not always celebrate this holiday in an "acceptable" style, and therefore it is quite common for them to pour champagne from bottles on city streets, disturbing those around them, and to blow up firecrackers.

It must be said that the Italian New Year is often called the "head of the year" or the dinner of St. Sylvester. Unlike Christmas, the holiday is not a family holiday, and therefore it is often celebrated with friends in restaurants, cafes and other public places. In Rome, the People's Square, where crowds of residents always gather, becomes the city's symbol of the New Year's holiday. It is here that creative groups perform all evening, entertaining the people with songs and dances, and after midnight fireworks explode in the sky. The country's main Christmas tree is located on St. Peter's Square.

The "edible" part of the celebration in Italy starts about 3 hours before the New Year and continues until midnight. On this day, only those dishes are prepared that symbolize well-being and prosperity, including financial. Italians eat lentils, the round grains of which resemble coins, and pork. Quite often, farewell to the old year takes place in the company of dishes from pork legs, and already the new year is celebrated by feasting on a pork head. On the table, there must be dzampone - the skin of a pork leg stuffed with meat with spices, as well as kotekino - homemade pork sausage.

On the festive table on New Year's Eve, you can also find traditional Italian pasta with seafood, a sweet cake with candied and dried fruits, somewhat reminiscent of an Easter cake, as well as an abundance of fresh fruits. Homemade cappelleti are popular - miniature triangle-shaped dumplings stuffed with cheese or meat. On the table, Italians put turkey, smoked salmon, and almond pies - in general, the choice is quite extensive. For a married couple, a pomegranate eaten at midnight is considered a good sign - a symbol of fidelity, and everyone else is recommended to eat 12 ripe grapes while chimes are chiming, accompanying it with making a wish.

Italians spend New Year's Eve noisy and on a grand scale. Many wait for midnight in the city squares, where the champagne is uncorked with the chimes and congratulated others. Some especially thoughtful townspeople attend such events only with an umbrella capable of protecting from the copious splashes of alcoholic beverage. Quite often, Italians wear traditional red clothes for the celebration. In principle, it is enough that at least one element of the image, even underwear, has such a color, so that next year its owner will be lucky.

The most famous tradition of the inhabitants of Italy is that on New Year's Eve they prefer to throw away "outdated" things. Old clothes, dishes, appliances and even furniture fly straight out of the windows, so pedestrians need to be especially careful at this time. Italians believe that if they manage to get rid of all unnecessary trash on New Year's Eve, then the next year will be filled with happiness and good luck. In the Italian province, on the first day of the new year, even before the sun rises, it is necessary to have time to deliver to the house "new water" obtained directly from the source. By the way, it is this liquid that is customary to give to your friends in the company with an olive branch.

It is also extremely important for the inhabitants of Italy who they meet first in the coming year. If it turns out to be a humpbacked grandfather, then the year will be successful, but a monk or priest, more likely, will bring failure.

Since the end of November, Italian cities have been filled with traditional holiday decorations. Decorated Christmas trees are set up in houses, squares and public spaces, lights are lit everywhere, and balconies and windows are decorated with satin ribbons and real spruce branches. To attract good luck, apartment windowsills are often covered with coins and lighted candles. On New Year's Eve, Italians give each other small pleasant souvenirs.Also at this time it is customary to present water with olive branches, and especially close people - red linen, symbolizing success.

Among the traditional gifts for the New Year are sweets, honey, gold and silver jewelry, money, lamps and coins. Received as a gift a pot with a sweet substance will bring sweetness to the upcoming 12 months, and a pretty lamp will "illuminate" the year with goodness. Gold and other precious materials bring prosperity to the home. If an Italian decides to make a gift to himself for a holiday, he will most likely buy new red clothes.

Babbo Natale, a relative of Santa Claus and Santa Claus, brings gifts to Babbo's children, but not on January 1 or December 25, but only on January 6. He is accompanied by the fairy Befana - an analogue of the Russian Snegurochka, rather reminiscent of Baba Yaga, who is just responsible for presenting the gift. If the child behaved well the whole previous year, then he will get what he wanted, and if he is bad, he will find only a coal in the festive stocking.

For more on New Years in Italy, see the next video.