Capodanno is the Italian name for New Year's Day and the New Year celebration.
The word comes from capo d'anno, meaning “head of the year” or the beginning of the year. In Italy, Capodanno is celebrated on January 1, while the evening before is commonly called San Silvestro, after Saint Sylvester's feast day.
Italian celebrations often include family meals, fireworks, public concerts, and midnight toasts. Lentils are a particularly recognizable New Year's food because their round shape is traditionally associated with coins and prosperity. Some regions and families also serve cotechino or zampone with the lentils.
Capodanno is not the name of a single national festival with identical customs everywhere. Local traditions differ considerably, and San Silvestro refers more specifically to December 31. The two terms are related but should not be treated as exact synonyms.