Italians love to celebrate the New Year and are waiting for it with great impatience. Preparing local start in a few months. Entertainment in this country is erected in a cult, so the winter holidays are the brightest for the locals.
Holiday habits and traditions of Italians
On Christmas, the official holidays are December 24 and 25. Italians love to spend this time with their families. Religious members of the population on Christmas Eve go from church to worship. In Rome, it passes right on St. Peter’s Square. All religious buildings and windows on the streets are decorated with images and figures of angels.
Among the festive dishes are traditional fish dishes. The most popular on the Italian table are:
- perch;
- salmon;
- acne;
- cod.
The methods of cooking fish here are special and in each family they add their own nuances, and also pass on from generation to generation. And meat for Christmas is not desirable here.
Winter feast does not pass without sweet delicacies. The most popular among them is the so-called “green” (“zelten”). This is a big gingerbread in sugar, nuts and fruits. As in the case of fish, each family has its own gingerbread recipe. Another sweet dish, the favorite of the Italians, is the Panettone cake. This is a sweet dome-shaped bread. Even legends are associated with it. The head of the family at Christmas should break the "Panettone" by the fireplace. Slices of bread are considered healing and can be stored for up to two months.
According to traditions, as many family members as possible gather at the big holiday table. It does not matter at all what the relations between them are - quarrels these days it is customary to forget and get together, even if someone lives in other countries.
A week before the main Christian holiday, the streets of Italian cities turn into fabulous tracks. The walls of houses, shop windows, green spaces and fences - all decorated with bright lights and New Year's toys. The most common among the branches are spruce, ribbons, candles and figurines of biblical heroes led by Jesus.
Candles in Italy are not only decoration. The most attractive and original copies are usually given to friends and relatives. Another traditional gift was the Star of Bethlehem. On sale there are hundreds of different options and a wide price range.
The local Santa Claus is called Babbo Natale. Gifts from him receive on December 26. According to tradition, children first have to disassemble gifts from family members, and only then receive additional gifts from Babbo Natal.
If it is customary to celebrate Christmas grandly and nobly, then the New Year is celebrated noisily and softly. Here songs and dances complement salutes and plenty of booze. An interesting Christmas tradition can be considered the choice of red clothes for the festive night. Red should be all the way down to underwear. It is believed that this color will bring in the future happiness to the one who dressed in it. As for the clothing itself, it should be expensive and new.
In order for the next year to be successful, according to Italian beliefs, it is impossible to work on December 31. Also, do not lend money. On the window sill you need to put a candle and put a few coins to attract wealth. Blowing up firecrackers is not just a tribute to the celebration. Locals believe that the noise will scare away evil spirits for the whole of the next year. For tourists, the following tradition can be dangerous: on the New Year's Eve Italians throw trash out of the windows. This is not a joke, it is quite possible to get something heavy on the head this night. Those who first meet the New Year in Italy should be more careful.
It has become a safer tradition to eat 12 grapes while the clock strikes. This tradition is also associated with luck. Instead of Santa Claus, the Italian children are given gifts by a certain Befana. This sorceress makes her presents on January 6, after which the winter holidays are considered to be over.
Nice souvenirs from New Year's Italy
One of the most popular gifts from Italy is Limoncello - lemon liqueur. An alternative would be any vintage local wine. Also pay attention to the balsamic vinegar from Modena. From the Christmas theme you should choose a funny doll Befan. It is believed that it scares away evil spirits.
For connoisseurs of art, you can pick up a good copy of famous paintings or purchase works by contemporary artists. From food, you need to choose only those that are marked with the sign “PDO” or “DOP”. This means that the product that the tourist holds in his hands is of the highest quality. A good gift will be real Nutella or other chocolate products. Also a good option would be souvenirs from the Vatican.
Jewelry from local materials will be an interesting gift. You should also take a closer look at the locally produced utensils, Murano glassware, Umbria ceramics, volcanic stone crafts, leather bags and belts.
Christmas Italy: excursions and tours
If the tour does not include excursions, then in any city you can find a Russian-speaking guide and use his services. It will be interesting to look at the largest Christmas tree in the world, which is set in the commune of Gubbio. Be sure to visit the central square of Rome - Piazza del Popolo. In Naples, you can see the most gorgeous fireworks. Each trip to Italy will give you a lot of impressions. Sicily’s culture is unique, and in Florence you can learn to draw. Fans of good wines go to Tuscany, and deeply religious people will not fail to visit the Vatican. And no one will definitely refuse to go to Venice because of the uniqueness of this city.
Tours that offer agencies are very diverse. Find among them something suitable for the price and filling is always possible. For example, a trip to Rimini from December 22 for a period of 7 to 14 days will cost between 32,200 rubles. The trip from December 26th will cost as little as 53,500 rubles, and from December 29th - 59500 rubles. After that, prices will gradually decline.
A trip to Rome for a period of 6 to 12 days from December 20 will cost the tourist in the amount of 37,300 rubles. Departure on December 26 will require to pay for the amount of the tour from 50,000 rubles, and on December 29 - from 67,000. In early January, such a trip costs from 62,000 rubles.
Enjoy your trip to Riccione. This New Year's tours begin to start from December 22. It will cost in the amount of 52,500 rubles per week. Closer to December 31, the cost increases to 100,000 rubles. New year's trip to Venice for a week will cost from 60,000 rubles. A trip to Bormio for a week will cost 175,000 rubles. Prices are given taking into account the trip together.
Guest reviews
In their reviews, the guests of the country warned that on January 1, nothing worked except for a couple of restaurants. On excursions it is better to go in groups, as they are skipped without a queue. All the rest will have to stand in a queue to most places of interest.
If on December 31 the table in the restaurant is not ordered in advance, then it is better to come for dinner early, at 8 pm. There will be no more empty seats later. On average, I drop a restaurant dinner for one will cost about 35 euros without drinks. New Year's menu usually assumes that you do not have to choose dishes.
In the subway on New Year's Eve a lot of people. At this time there are a lot of pickpockets and scammers. Be careful. Also, do not buy umbrellas on the streets - they will be disposable.
Seasoned tourists recommend for lunch to leave the central streets and choose small restaurants, where there are more local residents. To move better buy a weekly ticket on the subway, it also gives the right to ride a bus. Be sure to purchase a detailed map of the city and read as many reviews as possible. In this case, the trip will be successful and safe, and the New Year in Italy will be a great adventure.
