Il capodanno in Italia(The New Year in Italy)
In Italy the
celebrations for the New Year begin on December 31st, in what is called
"New Year's Eve". Usually you have a big dinner with family or
friends where you eat many good dishes including the typical cotechino
or zampone accompanied with lentils, which symbolize prosperity and
money as they have a shape that resembles that of coins. Many people organize
the dinner at home but others prefer to go to one of the many parties organized
in reception rooms and restaurants.
L`usanza di questa
festa e` fare "il veglione", cioe` restare svegli fino a mezzanotte
passata, per festeggiare l'arrivo del nuovo anno. Generalmente, a partire da 10
secondi prima della mezzanotte, si usa fare il conto alla rovescia fino ad
arrivare a zero, augurando quindi il buon anno nuovo e brindando con lo spumante e guardando o accendendo
fuochi d'artificio.
The custom of this
festival is to have a party and to stay awake until after midnight in order to
celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Generally, starting from ten seconds
before midnight, it is customary to count down to zero, and then wish everyone
a Happy New Year with a toast of sparkling wine. After that, people watch or
light fireworks.
The Italian tradition
also has it that during the New Year you wear red underwear as a symbol of luck
and prosperity.
After the midnight
toast, young people gather with friends and continue to celebrate, often in the
disco, all night until morning.
anno i festeggiamenti continuano in famiglia, solitamente con un
grande pranzo ma la vera festa rimane quella della notte tra il 31 e il 1º!
During the first day
of the year the celebrations continue in the family, usually with a big lunch
but the real party remains that of the night between the 31st and the 1st!
To find out more about
Italian festivals and traditions, I look forward to seeing you!
lentils:レンズ豆