At midnight on New Year's Eve in Italy, red clothing is traditionally worn to attract love and good fortune.
The custom is especially associated with red underwear, which is popularly believed to bring luck, passion, and prosperity in the coming year. Some accounts connect the practice with older Roman symbolism: red was associated with vitality and protection, while later popular culture gave the tradition its modern romantic meaning.
Italian New Year's celebrations also include a large festive meal and symbolic foods. Lentils are traditionally linked with wealth because their round shape resembles coins, and cotechino or zampone may be served with them in many regions. Customs vary substantially between northern and southern Italy and between families.
The red-garment practice is a superstition, not a formal religious requirement. It is often described as an Italian tradition, though similar New Year's color customs exist in other countries and may assign different meanings to red, white, or other colors.