What to do on new years eve in Rome

What to do on New Year's Eve in Rome
The New Year's celebration was created in 46 BCE during the Roman Republic, when Julius Caesar was ruler in Rome. In ancient times, the holiday was originally dedicated to the god Janus, from whose name comes the month of January, but in later centuries the date of New Year's kept changing between different countries like England, Ireland, and Spain. In Italian cities like Pisa and Florence, citizens used to celebrate the 25th of March; in Spain, it was the 25th of December.
In Puglia, Sardegna and Calabria they celebrate New Year's on September 1st, or the 15th according to the Gregorian calendar. Thanks to Pope Innocent XII, New Year's Day was officially set on the 1st of January in 1691. However, the 31st is dedicated to Saint Sylvester, which is why we wait until midnight and celebrate the new year from that moment on, in those six hours before the morning of January 1st.
New Year's in Italy these days is completely different. After spending three days off work for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Saint Stephen's Day, Italians work the 27th to 30th as usual. On the 31st they only work four hours because it's considered a holiday, and then the 1st of January is dedicated to Holy Mary, or Maria Santissima Madre di Dio. So this is a way for every Italian to have one week off work, and then the kids start school on the 9th of January.
On New Year's Eve, friends and family get together and celebrate with delicious home cooking made by their mothers and grandmothers. The younger generations have been preparing fireworks for weeks and will shoot them off on their rooftops or in the streets of Rome, while the 20 to 60-year-olds get ready to go to fancy restaurants and have what we Italians call cenone, which is like twenty courses of food and champagne to cheer in midnight. Some of these sophisticated restaurants even provide DJs and proper music so you can enjoy your Roman night out to the fullest, from delicious food to Italian Prosecco.
Other people go to hotels with the best views of Rome, like the Hassler, de la Ville and Grand Minerva, or the Borromini and Les Etoiles with their beautiful terrace gardens and rooftops. Rome is pretty well-organized, with plenty of clubs and bars to find in the historical center, but keep in mind that on this day all the clubs will charge an entrance fee from 30 to 100 euros. In some places you will have a glass of champagne or other drink included, and they might even include dinner as well, but in that case you're looking at 150 to 250 euros. It just depends on where you go. We advise that for any restaurant or club, you check the menu online first and then book ahead.
A few places that we highly recommend are the Zuma Club, Art Caffè, Hotel de Russi, Borromini Hotel, Il Tempio di Iside (a fish restaurant,) Cash Club, Sharivari Restaurant and Club, the Sanctuary (an elegant spot for supper), Esco Pazzo (ask
for Mike Bernette, he will put you on the list), Scalars Lounge, Triniti College Pub,

and the Palapa Restaurant by the Prati district. Alternatively, you can carry a few bottles of Prosecco or beer and stroll around the city, from the Spanish Steps to the Pantheon, Navona Square to Campo de Fiori, the Trastevere neighborhood, and Saint Peter's Basilica, where you can see the fireworks. The Italian police won't mind you drinking in the streets on New Year's Eve, just stay away from the fountains or you will be fined $500 and spend the morning in an Italian Questura (police station).
Most of the Roman museums will be closed on the 1st of January, and only a few churches will be open for mass, but Rome is like an open museum. There are plenty of things to do outdoors, like visit Janiculum Hill, Villa Borghese and its beautiful park, Villa Doria Pamphili, Trastevere, and Monte Testaccio, or take a bike tour of the Appian Way.
The 2nd of January will be the busiest day of the year for those who want to visit the Vatican Museums, Colosseum, Pantheon, Castel St. Angelo, Roman Catacombs, and Saint Peter's Basilica. Make sure you book your tickets in advance from a local tour company, who will give you "skip the line" tickets and a guided tour. Or if you're spending the week here, we always recommend that you go on the 3rd or the 4th of January instead (but not the 5th, because the 6th will be another festivity, Epiphany, and everything will be closed again).
So visiting Rome on New Year's Eve is a lot of fun, and the weather is perfect: not too cold during the day, though at night it gets colder, so make sure to bring a coat with you.
10 things not to miss out on when visiting Rome
Saint Clement Church
Saint Luigi de' Francesi Church, where you will find some of the work of Caravaggio Saint Ignazio Church and the beautiful view of its ceiling
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, home of Michelangelo's Christ
The Church of Saint Peter in Chains, where you can visit Michelangelo's Moses
The Capuchin Crypts at Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappucini Church, by the Barberini metro stop
Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa at the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria
Santa Maria degli Angeli Church, designed by Michelangelo
The Basilica of Saint John in Laterano and the Scala Santa
The Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme