The traditions of New Year's Eve are linked to the end of the year and the start of the new one. All the traditions over many generations are connected to serenity, abundance and luck.

In Italy we usually stay with our family on the 31^st of December for the “Cenone” ( a big dinner), waiting for midnight.

Each country has its own typical food, but fish, spumante ( sparkling wine), pandoro and panettone (Christmas cakes used even on New Year's Eve) are quite common throughout Italy.

During dinner if you eat lentils with your hands it means you will have money; sometimes we eat lentils with Cotechino (pork sausage). At midnight tradition says that you have to throw away old objects (like dishes or glasses) while you make a wish. This “brutal” ritual removes bad things that happened during the previous year.

Also setting off fireworks is thought to remove evil spirits.

It's usual to wear red underwear and to read your horoscope for the New Year on this day.

Pandoro Panettone Cotechino and Lentils

Recipe

Cotechino ( pork sausage) with lentils

Preparation

We buy a type of pork sausage that it's called “Cotechino”. We take a very large saucepan with hot water and put the cotechino in it with its small net on for an hour. After that we remove the pork sausage from the envelope and cut it into slices. We boil the lentils in a pot with the broth for 15 minutes. Then cut the onion, the celery and the carrots and fry them in a frying pan with the olive oil for another 15 minutes. After combine everything in one pot and leave for 15 minutes. Next put the cotechino and lentils together in a serving dish and we serve it.

By

Stapane Martina, Reno Alessia

De Giorgi Benedetta, Montagna Virginia