Venetian Christmas Roses for the New Year, but ..

New Years Eve: The Procurazie Nuove Arcades, with the Christmas luminarie (lights) still switched on, as they are every day now until 12 pm. In the far distance you can see the chairs and tables of Caffé Florian which are put there under the arcades all year long

... but then celebrating the New Year on 01 January is "relatively new" to us, as you will discover in this post. Nowadays, the color of New Year's Eve and Day in Venice is decidely WHITE: How is New Year's Eve celebrated all over Venice, not just on Piazza San Marco. We wish each other "Buon Anno" with white flowers, often with La Rosa di Natale .. 

White New Year Presents: Christmas roses amongst white cyclamen that I saw the other day in a fioreria in Cannaregio

Even though many visitors  arrive directly in the Piazza on Midnight, before that, New Year's Eve is celebrated with a good dinner "in famiglia" or "fuori" in one of the countless little restaurants, trattorie and osterie .. depends on what and how you prefer to eat. 

Below are some examples, like trattorie sparsely lit and very romantic, and the menu in elegant Caffè Florian right at the Piazza (ideal if you want to see the fireworks later), or on the opposite part of town, if you opt for a quiet night away from the crowds.

Sparingly lit and romantic: Hard to make out in the night picture - but this is Trattoria Sempione in the heart of the Mercerie, the shopping area connecting San Marco to Rialto

.. but it's getting lighter if you approach it ..

Nice reflections of the winter night lights in the Canal (this is Rio dei Bareteri, by the way, and the bridge you all pass to reach Rialto is thus called "Ponte dei Barateri).

Trattoria Storica, next to Campo dei Gesuiti which opens up on Fondamenta Nove

Trattoria Storica

But did you know that in Venice, the New Year has been celebrated on 01 January only since 1582, when the Venetian Republic's calendar was "switched" to the Gregorian calendar.

Actually, on 31 December 1581, in Piazza San Marco, nothing was celebrated (with the exception of a usual nights where people went around in masks if they wished so, - in winter it was so normal to wear masks in Venice). During the earlier times of the Serenissima Republic, the New Year started on March 1st !! In contrast to the Gregorian Calendar (which was introduced in October 1582), more veneto (according to Venetian usuance), September was the septimus mons (seventh month), October the eight (octo), November the ninth (nove), and December the tenth month of the year (decimus). January and February were thus to be the last two months of the year. And March, the month of the Madonna and birth of cities (like Rome and also according to legend, Venice) was to be the first month of the year.

From the very beginning of the Venetian community in the year 421, legend has it that the Venetian year began on 25 March (the birthday of Venice!!). Only afterwards, the beginning of the Venetian year was anticipated to 01 March... You can read more about that on the website of Veneto Uno, click here for the link to their radio station and an interview on the subject.

This year, the Piazza will be filled with (white-and-black dressed) people enjoying the White Venice Night organized by Capodanno a Venezia. The stage for the celebrations was set up already ten days ago and was used for gospel singing, but afterwards, by 7 pm, the Piazza went quiet again, leaving the few tourists to stroll around and marvel at the lights that this year are white and silvery - brightened by the odd fir garlands decorating the shop windows under the arcades, and the euphorbia plants on show in the shop windows and bar counters of the Gran Caffés.
If you are not in Venice tonight and would like to see the celebrations on the Piazza and even some of the fireworks (it should work out ..), then go to this link: it is the Webcam of the only hotel in town overlooking Piazza San Marco (Hotel Concordia).

Click HERE for the Webcam link (btw, this is a picture shown on the webcam this afternoon at 15:30)

Venice White Night 2014

The webcam works well, and you can take a look tonight, or else take a look at the Piazza anytime day and night. You can see the top of the Christmas tree placed on Piazza dei Leoncini, too. At night, the lights under the arcades are on until 12 pm, so on this Camera you can have a look at the Christmas lights as well !!
And here is a video for you to see the fireworks when 2013 was ushered in one year ago.

Buon Anno 2014 da Venezia !!!