During Italy's New Year's Eve celebrations, lentils traditionally symbolize prosperity for the coming year.
The association comes from the legumes' small, round shape, which resembles coins. Eating lentils at the turn of the year is therefore linked with hopes for financial abundance. A common festive meal pairs them with cotechino, a large cooked pork sausage, or with zampone, a stuffed pig's trotter.
Pork also carries symbolic meaning because a pig is associated with abundance and having plenty to eat. In many Italian households, the lentils are served after midnight or as part of the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day meal.
The tradition is cultural rather than a guarantee of wealth, and regional menus vary considerably. It should not be confused with Spain's midnight grapes: both are New Year's customs involving food, but lentils are the prosperity symbol especially associated with Italian celebrations.