The Italian New Year's Eve Good Luck: From Lentils to Red Lingerie

NO NUOVO, VITA NUOVA 
(New Year, New Life)

All you should know to make this proverb real.





New Year's Eve is almost here and Italy is ready to party for the Capodanno or Notte di San Silvestro.
As you can imagine a MAGNIFICENT dinner is what makes our night special and, as always, we have so many ways to ask the GOOD SPIRITS to help us beginning the new Year in the right way, and most of all, HAVE A RICH NEW YEAR.

So, once again, here is all you should do to make the 2014 the most lucky of you life!

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WHAT and HOW TO DRINK AND EAT
First of all, there are special ingredients that can't be missed.
The most traditional dinner is based on COTECHINO AND LENTICCHIE. Lentils is what will bring you MONEY, so many money!

UVA (GRAPES): something else you can't miss. And, if you really want to respect traditions, you will start eating it 12 minutes before midnight, ONE GRAPE PER MINUTE.

MELOGRANO (pomegranate): eating it will bring you fertility and prosperity!

SPUMANTE OR CHAMPAGNE: we make a toast at midnight, usually with SPUMANTE (Champagne is too French for us) and after that we will soak our fingertip in it and pour the back of our ears (and our loved ones) to bring joy and happiness thanks to a little drop of Spumante.

WHAT TO WEAR
Something can't miss both for men and women: RED LINGERIE. It's a must. Absolutely.

WHAT TO DO AND TO AVOID
Around Italy we have so many different traditions, and some of them can change a little depending on the region. But, some are well knows across all the Boot. So these are the most famous!

THE FIRST PERSON TO MEET ON THE 1st must be THE OPPOSITE GENDER of yours.

THROWING OLD OBJECTS AWAY. This is a tradition still alive especially in Naples and some other parts of southern Italy. And it can happens that people throw objects from their balconies, from plates, to glasses, to chairs and whatever is old...soooo....if you're spending your New Yeaar's Eve in Italy watch your heads!

FIRECRACKERS (BOTTI)- Once used to send the evil spirits away, they are a tradition you will find all over the country. So, pay attention if you decide to party in the streets...we go crazy for them and fireworks, and it's legal for everybody to use them. And sometimes it can be dangerous for real...So, watch your step!


And this is to WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL 2014...full of joy, happiness and prosperity!
Stay connected...stay Italian!

Want to discover more? Go to the Home Page and find out all the resources of the Italian Bridge!

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