New Year's Day in 🇮🇹 Italy

Capodanno in Italy is a public holiday steeped in food superstitions and regional traditions. The centrepiece of the New Year's table is lenticchie con cotechino or zampone: lentils served with a rich pork sausage or stuffed pig's trotter. The small, coin-shaped lentils are believed to bring prosperity, and the more you eat, the wealthier you will be.

Wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve and into January 1st is a widespread Italian custom believed to bring good luck and love. Shops stock red lingerie prominently in December, and the tradition is taken semi-seriously by Italians of all ages.

In southern Italy, particularly Naples, the old tradition of throwing unwanted items out of windows at midnight has largely been discouraged by authorities but persists symbolically. The idea is to discard the old to make room for the new. Naples is also famous for its spectacular midnight fireworks over the Bay of Naples.

January 1st often includes a late family pranzo (lunch), long walks through historic city centres, and the Concerto di Capodanno broadcast from La Fenice in Venice or other prestigious Italian theatres. Many Italians also eat twelve grapes, one for each month, a custom shared with Spain.

The first day of the Gregorian calendar year, celebrated worldwide with fireworks, parties, and resolutions marking fresh beginnings on January 1.