First of all I would like to wish all of you a HAPPY 2013!!! Hoping that it will be a year full of love, health and of course lots of Italy via my blog!
After celebrating new year’s eve in The Netherlands for the past couple of years, this year we’ve celebrated it in Italy. We went to our friend’s place with others to have a fun and relaxing night with plenty of delicious food of course. The fun thing is that Italians are pretty superstitious. I wanted to share some of the traditions Italians have on New Year’s Eve that will bring good luck in the new year:
- Wear red underwear; it will bring you good luck, not only on new year’s eve but also in the rest of the new year!
- Put some spumante behind your ears. Easy enough, right? Although I must admit I totally forgot about this…oops
- Make sure the man congratulates the woman first. If it’s the other way around it will bring bad luck.
- Eat lenticchie with cotechino or zampone. Lenticchie will bring you money in the new year, so I say just eat a bit you never know. I just ate the lenticchie and no cotechino and zampone because I’m not in to that at all.
- In Naples it’s a tradition to throw out old stuff from the window and start the new year with new stuff. I’m not planning to celebrate new year’s eve in Naples anytime soon…wow…that’s pretty dangerous!
For those who didn’t know this, maybe these tips help you for next year. Italians are superstitious not only on new year’s eve but in general. I’ll dedicate a post to that some other time.
I really hope you all have had a wonderful new year’s eve wherever in this world and if you have some traditions in your country, please leave a comment and share it!! I always love culturer differences…
Interesting tips, I should have read this on the 31st of December , wish me luck
Een heel gelukkig en gezond 2013!
Hoi Francina…volgend jaar weer een kans
jij ook een heel goed 2013 gewenst!
Happy New Year!!
Thanks, you too!
Happy New Year! Looks like I’m going to have an unlucky year, must go and buy some red underwear
LOL…at least you have a good excuse
Happy New Year to you too 
Happy New Year Letizia, I’m looking forward to some more wine recommendations in 2013 – and your fabulous photographs of the beatiful parts of Italy
Thank you so much Finn, Happy New Year to you too! You will definitely get some more recommendations and photo’s
Those Italian New Year traditions are are interesting. There is a city in South Africa where people throw furniture and appliances out of apartment windows when they are drunk on New Years Eve.
Happy New Year to you. 
Hahahaha, that’s funny! Happy New Year
Happy New Year Letizia! Love hearing how others celebrate the holidays! We have a casual get together with friends, eat lots of appetizers and watch the ball drop in New York from the comforts of our television!
Hi Cathie, Happy 2013 to you too. Sounds like a perfect night among friends!!
Very interesting. Happy New Year to you as well. We eat black eyed peas and cornbread, usually also cabbage for good luck. My mother always kept the Christmas tree up until jan 2nd and NEVER washed clothes on january 1st because the superstition was you would wash away one of your loved ones that year.
I just bow took down my tree and was concerned when I noticed my fiancé washing clothes yesterday. Lol. Always love your posts but hard to post from phone
Hi Christi! OMG…I also washed my clothes on the first. Will definitely keep it in mind for next year!!! Thanks for sharing your tradition!
An of course happy 2013!!
Must remember to buy red undies for next New Year’s Eve! Or would red tartan jim-jamas do? I’d have to stay home, of course.
Hope 2013 is wonderful for you, Letizia. I’ve enjoyed your blog.
Thanks Jo! Hope you’ll enjoy it as well in 2013
. I’d go for the red undies 
… or maybe both then you’ll have double the luck??
Hope you have a very lovely 2013!
Thank you…same to you
. All the best!
They really are a superstitious lot the Italians, aren’t they? Fascinating facts! A very happy new year to you Letizia, I hope 2013 brings you good luck and a bit of spare cash.
In Scotland we call New Year’s Eve ‘Hogmanay’ and we have a tradition called ‘first-footing’. The first person whose foot crosses the threshold of your house after midnight on New Year’s Eve is supposed to bring you luck and good fortune. When you first-foot someone you take a piece of coal and some whisky, perhaps a coin as well and a cake or biscuit. I don’t know how many people still follow this tradition but I remember taking a lump of coal to a neighbour’s house when I was a child.
Thank you Lorna for sharing this wonderful tradition. I’ve never heard of it before, not even of the name ‘Hogmanay’ so I learned something new. Great! Wishing you a wonderful and delightful 2013…that you may visit many more tearooms to share with us this coming year
Jij ook mijn wens dat al je dromen waar worden, en dat je familie gezond en gespaard blijft.
Wat die toenemende vuurwerk-ellende alhier betreft: ik hoorde een oogarts vertellen dat het aantal kinderen dat met oogletsel verscheen significant is afgenomen dit jaar, waarschijnlijk dankzij het uitdelen van gratis vuurwerkbrillen aan de hele Rotterdamse jeugd! Heerlijk nieuws.
Dat meen je niet….bijzonder! Hetzelfde voor jou Selma!
Many happy returns to you too for a very happy and prosperous 2013!
Thank you so much. You too!!
Happy New Year Letizia!
Grazie mille! You too
Happy New Year, Letizia!
Thanks Cathy…Happy New Year to you too!!!
Wishing you a super 2013. I am all about out with the old and in with new but might opt to bring mine to a needy charity or rubbish bin instead of hurling it out my 45 floor apartment window as that sounds a little deadly… Take Care, BAM
HAHAHAHA, I must agree with you… Wouldn’t want to be the one walking happily under your apartment at New Year’s Eve
. Wishing you all the best for the new year as well. Maybe you want to do a second guest post somewhere in 2013?? Ciao, letizia
Happy new year Wishing your happiness
Thank you so much and of course same to you!!
Wat leuk die tradities!
)
(Hopelijk doen ze niet zo afschuwelijk aan vuurwerk in Italië, als hier?
Hoi Selma, nee het vuurwerk is beduidend minder. Aan de ene kant wel jammer want ik ben het gewend vanuit Nederland maar ik heb begrepen dat het de laatste jaren nogal absurd veel is in NL. Ik hoor heel veel erover. Jammer hoor. Gelukkig nieuwjaar Selma!