People cheer in front of Rome’s ancient Colosseum as fireworks explode to celebrate the new ye

People cheer in front of Rome’s ancient Colosseum as fireworks explode to celebrate the new year  by Andreas SolaroThe Colosseum | (Where is this?)Happy New Year! (Felice Anno Nuovo!)The new year celebrations are typically centred in the Piazza del Popolo with music, entertainment and fireworks drawing in crowds from across the city. When welcoming the new year, the people of Italy observe several interesting customs. To name a few;- An old-fashioned tradition, particularly prominent in the south, is to literally throw out the past and all things old; possessions, such as old clothing or kitchenware, will literally be thrown out of the window as it is believed to be the banishment of bad luck and to symbolise the letting go of unhappiness in preparation for the future. Similarly, seen more in the north, crockery may be smashed outside your house to frighten away bad luck and spirits.- Red underwear is worn on New Year’s Eve in the belief that it will bring luck, and even fertility, for the coming year. It is preferred that this be given as a gift rather than purchased yourself- A celebratory dinner with relatives or friends is a popular tradition with many customs attached to it. Served with lentils, a cotechino or a zampone is a favourable dish made with pigs’ trotters, thought to symbolise abundance and a richness of life due to its high fat content . The presence of lentils is particularly important as they are said to bring good luck and prosperity, due to their coin-like shape. When midnight arrives, lentil stew is consumed with one spoonful for each stroke of the bell, in the hope of good fortune for the year ahead. A dinner should be completed with the consumption of grapes to ensure that you are wise and frugal with your new-found wealth, as only someone with good willpower and patience could save the grapes from the harvest until the new year.- It is not unusual for the celebrations to last through the night until dawn, as this is a way of welcoming the arrival of the new year with the viewing of the first sunrise -- source link

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