Lunar New Year (il Capodanno lunare) refers generically to the beginning of a new year based on lunisolar calendars. It is celebrated by many cultures in various ways at diverse dates. However, the best known Lunar New Year celebration, at least in Italy, is il Capodanno cinese (Chinese New Year). The Chinese community has a significant presence in Italy; indeed, it makes up the fourth-largest non-European population in the country and includes almost 300,000 people, most of whom live in Lombardia, Veneto, and Toscana.
The next Chinese Lunar New Year will fall on January 29, 2025 (it often falls in January) and, as is customary, will last for fifteen days. According to Chinese tradition, every lunar year corresponds to an animal from the Chinese zodiac, and in 2025, that will be the wooden snake (serpente di legno), which stands for wisdom, stability, and tranquility.
Let’s see how the Chinese community—and everyone interested in or connected to Chinese culture—celebrates the Lunar New Year in Italy.
Chinese New Year in Italy: Customs and Traditions
Every year, the large Chinese community living in Milano celebrates il Capodanno cinese with a series of events, the highlight of which is a big parade at the Arco della Pace, a landmark triumphal arch dating back to the nineteenth century. Until recently, the parade took place on via Paolo Sarpi (historically, the heart of the local Chinatown), but it became too big to be hosted there, so it has been moved elsewhere. In Roma, the big party happens in the Esquilino neighborhood, with the by-now-usual array of shows, music, and colorful decorations. Celebrations in Prato—a relatively small Tuscan city that ranks third in Europe for number of Chinese residents, after Paris and London—involve the whole city.
Highlights of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations include papier-mâché dragons and lions, lanterns, red everywhere, and fireworks. According to Chinese legend, a monster named Niam comes out from a cave every twelve months to eat people, and he fears only two things: the color red and very loud noises (hence the fireworks).
For the Chinese community, Lunar New Year is largely a time to spend with family, maybe making jiaozi together, or just being together (after the mandatory big house cleaning performed in the days prior to get rid of everything old and to make room for nicer things and good luck). The New Year’s dinner is the most important of the year. The day following New Year’s Day is then devoted to visiting parents and elderly people in the family.
As far as food goes, Chinese neighborhoods around the country will be cooking up dumplings, bao buns (sweet or savory), nian gaos (rice cakes), and tangyuan, the traditional dessert made of rice shaped into balls and served in a hot broth or syrup.
Anyone who celebrates Chinese New Year—or who is curious enough to take part in the celebrations—is building a bridge between China and the Chinese communities living in Italy, so the event should be cherished as a valuable opportunity to be together or learn more about Chinese culture—and of course, to have fun: Buon anno del serpente!
By Claudia Quesito
Also read:
How Different Countries Observe the Lunar New Year: Traditions and Celebrations
Top 10 Traditions of the Chinese New Year
