By: Francesca Montillo, ISDA Food + Travel Writer
With Christmas now behind us, it’s time to think about the next big holiday. As you know, Italy is a country filled with customs and traditions, many of them stemming from the kitchen table, and New Year’s is no exception.
I don’t know about you, but after the year we’ve all had, I’m willing to try anything for a better 2021! Read on and take notes on how to celebrate the New Year, Italian-style.
The New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day meals are rich in tradition and customs, as rich as you might expect anything Italian to be. On the table there are always a few key items, such as lentils, walnuts, pomegranates, grapes, and rice, as symbols of good luck, and as a guarantee for a better new year ahead. And who can’t use that in 2021?
Lentils: Lentils are a symbol of growing prosperity because as they cook, they increase in volume! The tradition of eating lentils on New Year dates back to an ancient custom. Small coin purses would be given on New Years Eve with the hopes that over the year ahead, they would turn into real coins/money! I prepare lentils religiously every January 1st, because, well, why not? It’s no sacrifice to eat a delicious bowl of hearty lentil soup!
Grab the recipe for my lucky lentil soup here.
Nuts: The tradition of putting walnuts on the New Year’s table is a peasant one. In ancient times, the head of the family took 12 walnuts, put them in the cupboard and covered them with salt, the next day, the drier or wetter walnuts indicated the month of the New Year, which would be drier or wetter. Always used in rituals to gods, as a symbol of luck and happiness, nuts as well as all dried fruit in general, must never be missing from the New Year’s table. So add a beautiful basket full of nuts to your dinner menu. Or why not prepare some delicious walnut cookies?
Grab the recipe for walnut butterballs here.
Pomegranate: Always a symbol of productiveness and luck, thanks to the spontaneity of this fruit to release the red seeds when it opens, the pomegranate should never be missing from your New Years celebration.
Rice: Here’s another tradition I always stick to, making risotto for New Year’s Eve dinner. According to many beliefs, rice grains are a symbol of abundance, therefore a good omen for the New Year. Rice can be used as an ingredient in dishes to be prepared for dinner, or, if rice isn’t on your menu, simply place a few small bowls filled with uncooked rice on the table.
Grab the recipe for Amarone risotto here.
Grapes: This delicious fruit also symbolizes abundance. According to tradition, grapes shouldn’t be missing from your table on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. And 12 grapes should be eaten, as a good omen for the New Year. This is a simple one to follow, so why not?
Pepperoncino: With its red color, the color of holidays, the chili pepper is auspicious as a symbol of good luck, also for its shape that resembles the lucky horn, a superstitious object typical of my southern Italy. Add it to your dishes, or simply use as a decoration on your table.
So now you know what to eat for a prosperous New Year, 2021 is looking better already!
