Capodanno

Capodanno is celebrated on 1 January, a national holiday and the quiet-after-midnight answer to San Silvestro, the big New Year's Eve party on 31 December. Many Italians start the morning slowly after midnight fireworks and piazza celebrations, then exchange greetings such as Buon anno or Felice anno nuovo by phone, in apartment stairwells, or at the bar over coffee. The center of the day is pranzo di Capodanno, usually a long family lunch at home, often with grandparents, uncles, and cousins. Tables commonly include lenticchie with cotechino or zampone, a pairing linked with hopes for money and abundance in the coming year, followed by panettone or pandoro and a toast with spumante.

Because 1 January is both Capodanno and the Catholic Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, some people go to Mass before lunch or in the late afternoon. Elsewhere the holiday moves outdoors after the meal: families take a passeggiata through historic centers, and many cities keep their main piazzas lively with New Year concerts or public performances. In Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, and other large cities, the central square is a natural meeting point if friends want to see each other after eating with family. The pace is slower than on New Year's Eve, but the day still ends with visits, sweets, and another round of auguri before everyone returns to work after the holiday period.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.