Thirty-two is 'o capitone. The word does not mean eel in general: a capitone is a large female eel, and in Naples it means one specific meal.
It is eaten on Christmas Eve, fried or in vinegar, and it is traditionally bought alive and kept in the bath or a tub of water until the last possible moment. Every Neapolitan family has a story about the night the capitone got out.
- 32
- 'O capitone
- the eel
- Row 31–40 of the tabellone
Where the figure comes from
No recorded reason for the number. The figure is on the board because the animal is on the table.
Other things filed on 32
In Neapolitan life
This is the square that ties the grid to the season. The capitone is Christmas Eve, the tombola board comes out the same week, and the caller announces the numbers by their pictures. Thirty-two and twenty-five belong to the same evening.
32 in the smorfia — frequently asked
A large female eel, the traditional Christmas Eve dish in Naples and much of southern Italy.
No source says. Given that the whole board is called out at Christmas, a Christmas Eve dish earning a number needs less explaining than most.