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The New Year in Italy is known as Capodanno. Italians welcome the new year with unique and intriguing traditions and superstitions aimed at inviting good fortune, love, and prosperity.
As an Italian language student, the Capodanno festive period presents a prime opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the local culture. Today, we will explore five locally practiced Capodanno traditions that show how Italians celebrate the New Year and attract positive energy.
5 Italian New Year’s traditions to promise luck and prosperity
1. Why do Italians eat lentils for New Year’s Eve dinner?
The central dish of the Italian New Year’s Eve dinner is lentils, a food deeply rooted in the tradition of symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Lentils are highly esteemed because their small, rounded shape closely resembles coins, signifying a wish for financial success. They are typically served alongside traditional pork dishes like cotechino or zampone, which also symbolize abundance and plenty. These dishes embody the Italian hope to begin the New Year with financial fortune and success.
2. What is the origin of the tradition of wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve?
The tradition of wearing red underwear for those seeking love or luck is a deep-seated custom dating back to ancient Rome, believed to bring good fortune and ward off negative energy. This practice traces its roots to the time of Roman Emperor Augustus in 31 BC, where the color red symbolized prosperity and vitality during Roman festivals. Today, followers of this tradition believe the underwear must be brand new and discarded after use to fully clear the past and welcome new opportunities.
3. What does the tradition of making loud noise (fare rumore) at midnight signify?
The act of making loud noise (fare rumore) at midnight on New Year’s Eve, through fireworks, banging pots, or ringing bells, is a crucial Italian tradition intended to chase away negative spirits and welcome the positive energy of the new year. This noisy celebration culminates while raising a toast with spumante or prosecco, symbolically signaling a new beginning alongside the fireworks that light up the night sky.
4. Why are pomegranates important on Italian New Year’s Eve?
Pomegranates (melagrana) are another treasured symbol of abundance on the Italian New Year’s Eve table, revered for representing health, prosperity, and fertility. The vibrant red seeds of this ancient fruit symbolize vitality and richness. Pomegranate seeds are used to garnish desserts or brighten salads, adding visual appeal while embodying the hope and blessings for the new year.
5. What is the meaning behind the tradition of throwing old objects out the window?
The custom, observed in some regions of Italy, particularly Naples, of throwing old objects (such as dishes or glasses) out the window is a symbolic gesture of casting away the past and welcoming the new opportunities of the New Year. This dramatic action represents the intention to purge bad memories and misfortune from the house, ensuring a clean start to the new year.
How language students can use Capodanno culture!
New Year’s traditions in Italy serve as excellent material for both language acquisition and developing cultural intelligence.
- Practical conversation practice: You can initiate natural conversations with friends by asking questions like: “Hai mangiato le lenticchie?” (Did you eat the lentils?) or “Hai messo l’intimo rosso?” (Did you wear red underwear?).
- Deep cultural understanding: Discussing the symbolic meanings of fare rumore or melagrana helps you connect ancient Italian superstitions with modern customs.
Are you ready to immerse yourself deeply in Italian culture and celebrate the New Year with Go! Go! Italia?
Start Your 2026 Capodanno in Italy!
The New Year in Italy is filled with good fortune and vitality. Experience all these traditions firsthand through an Italian language study abroad program.
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