12 grapes to welcome the new year. This is one of the most deep-rooted traditions, especially in the south, which is renewed on the night of new Year's Eve. The grapes, twelve like the months of the year, must be eaten to the rhythm of the last twelve bells before midnight. Grapes are considered a symbol of luck and wealth and, as such, cannot be missing from New Year's Eve tables.
This ancient rite, which has Spanish origins, is mainly rooted in Napoli and in other areas of the south, during the Spanish domination in Italy. In reality, this is just one of the many superstitious rituals that Neapolitans put into practice on New Year's Eve, to ensure a year full of positivity. There are several and many of these are certainly not exclusive to the Neapolitan people, but are shared throughout the country.
The “Fire Pacifier”
In addition to the propitiatory rite of the 12 grapes, again in Campania, but this time in Sorrento, the lighting of the "Fire Pacifier" is repeated every end of the year. The donkey in question is an iron shape, accompanied by a man disguised as an old man, who symbolizes the past year. Fireworks are mounted on the donkey-shaped silhouette and exploded at the stroke of midnight. Before this happens, those present sing the "New Year's Song", which marks the transition between the old and the new.
Spanish origins
The ritual of the 12 grapes is also traditionally repeated in the Marche and, even in this case, it has Spanish origins. To trace them, we need to go back to the first half of the 1500s, when many Sephardic Jews, expelled from Spain after the Edict of Granada (1492), settled in areas including cities such as Ancona, Urbino, Fermo, Macerata. These places became a meeting point between East and West, therefore between different cultures and different rituals linked to agriculture and religion.
The number 12, in particular, recalls the twelve apostles, the twelve sons of Jacob, but also the twelve hours of the day, the twelve months of the year, the twelve symbols of the zodiac. That of the 12 grapes is just one of the numerous customs practiced in Italy while waiting for the new year. In fact, the traditions linked to New Year's Eve are truly numerous and curious, as it has always been full of expectations and good intentions. We'll talk about it again in a future article, waiting for the new year to arrive.
(Photo: Pixabay)
