How Do They Celebrate New Year in Italy?

New Year Italy

If you do not like to celebrate the New Year in your city, covered with snow or sunbathing, and too distant and exotic countries also do not attract you, then Italy is an ideal option. The warm climate and festive mood will make your start of the year unforgettable. However, before packing your suitcases and booking tickets for the next flight (after all, New Year’s Eve is just around the corner), first of all, you should get an idea of ​​what awaits you in fabulous Italy.

New Year atmosphere

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On New Year’s Eve Italy will greet you with amazingly beautifully decorated streets, costume parades and New Year’s sales.

You will be able to plunge into the festive atmosphere, as well as combine business with pleasure: buy your beloved ones gifts from leading brands at a surprisingly low price. New Year is a time of miracles, so don’t miss the lottery ticket offices. In January, you will likely receive a gift from Santa Claus himself, which is called Babbo Natale in Italy.

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Hogmanay

The Italians sit down at the New Year’s table around 9 p.m. on December 31, on the very eve of the holiday. According to the old tradition, 13 dishes should be placed on the festive table – this will bring good luck in the coming year.

Here you can see a wide variety of dishes: smoked salmon, eel, turkey stuffed with mushrooms or nuts, and certainly lentils. There is no New Year’s table in Italy without pork: the inhabitants of the country of wine and the sun believe that the pig is slowly but surely moving forward, so they simply cannot imagine this holiday without pork. Italians prefer to celebrate the long-awaited holiday with a glass of champagne or beer, considering this drink will bring good luck.

Where is it traditionally celebrated?

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Traditionally, New Year in Italy is celebrated noisily and in a large company. That is why on New Year’s Eve, Italian squares and streets are super overcrowded: locals and tourists leave their homes and hotels and go to mass festivities, sharing with everyone their festive mood and congratulating everyone.
For example, residents of the Italian capital celebrate the New Year at Piazza del Popolo, drinking champagne straight from a bottle and then smashing it on the foot of the monument. The bravest adventurers jump into the Tiber River.

Holidays in the mountains

You can also meet this wonderful winter holiday in the mountains of Italy, which abound in numerous ski resorts. Everyone will find theirs based on their preferences: there are places both for extreme lovers who cannot sit still and for active youth, and families.


The New Year can be celebrated both at the resort itself and in one of the villages near which they are located. On New Year’s Eve, most tourists prefer to make wishes and drink champagne on the small streets of the towns that lie at the foot of the mountains.
Italy offers a lot of options for celebrating a New Year. It doesn’t matter where you celebrate this holiday. Whether it’s Rome, Naples, Venice, or a ski resort in the Alps, a festive mood, warm Italian hospitality, and a colorful start to the coming year are guaranteed to you!

Author:
Guide, traveler, marathon runner, journalist, creator of the site ITALY FOR ME. I live in Rome and am in love with Rome. On the subject of the article, please ask questions in the comments. I try to answer everyone at least once a day.

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