December walked into our homes long time ago and we are getting closer to the
New Year’s Eve which we all wait with a special kind of excitement. Aside from
wonderful Christmas squares, decorated windows and fairy-tale snowy
landscapes which make this period so special, we cannot avoid and skip generally
loved customs and tradition which are being transferred from generation to
generation, and which make people around the world happy and warm their hearts at the same time.
Decorating a Christmas tree, symbolic exchange of gifts, kiss at midnight, making a wish – these are all universal customs which connect almost all people, but there are also some different ones, unique ones, being practiced only in certain countries or religions, which make these very depictured, special, even a bit mystical. Let’s take Italy for instance. Italians, who are always welcoming and talkative, can simply capture you with their culture and temperament. Their tradition is nothing different than that. Italian customs before the New Year are very interesting and we do believe, quite unknown to you, so we will make you familiar with these and describe you these in details in the text in continuation.
12 RAISINS AND POMEGRANATE
New Year table in Italy is a very festive and rich happening, as you could have guessed, but did you know that Italians have one very interesting belief and tradition to eat 12 grapes (or raisins), at midnight, where each and every one symbolizes one month in the year, in order that the year to come is fulfilled with happiness. If a couple sits at the table, the tradition says that they have to share the fruit which symbolizes love, loyalty and fertility.
THROWING THE OLD DISHES THROUGH THE WINDOW
It seems a bit lucid and quite dangerous (especially for the passers-by), but Italians from many country areas (south especially), even in the Rome, have one very interesting custom where they throw away the old object (dishes mostly) through the window at midnight, in order to release their souls from bad feelings which piled up throughout the year, and to start fresh and without any burden.
GIVING FIGS IN LAUREL LEAF
In the old Rome, at the beginning of the New Year, people were gifting each other honey and figs to symbolize a sweet year to come. Many Italians, in Napoli especially, continue practicing this tradition by gifting figs wrapped in a laurel leaf for a New Year, as the laurel symbolizes victory and great luck.
EMPTY POCKETS ARE A NO-NO
Italians are very superstitious, so it is not strange that all the Italians in the NY’s Eve have full pockets. Namely, they do believe that if they leave the home without money or enter the NY empty-handed, they will be poor and miserable throughout the entire year, and vice versa.
SERBS DO HAVE A ROAST, AND ITALIANS SAUSAGES AND LENTILS
Traditional NY meal in Italy symbolizes abundance. And while in the region Piemonte risotto is preferred (as rice symbolizes money/coins), in the other places in Italy many dishes contain lentils (symbolizing wealth) and raisins (for luck). The main dish with lentils aside is Italian cotechino which means pork sausage being chopped to circles in order to look like coins and to symbolize wealth in the upcoming year, while a cake called Panettone with dried fruits is served as a dessert, and they are toasting with sparkling wines called Prosecco or Spumante.
And when the clock counts midnight, all the Italians worldwide shout „Buon anno“, they toast and kiss to the cheeks. One regular NY tradition in Italy is to dip your finger into the foaming bubbles from your glass and then to touch the ear of a person whom you would wish a happiest New Year.
Try it – if it is to believe to the Italians, it works!
