In Italy, red underwear is traditionally worn on New Year's Eve to bring luck in the coming year.
The custom is a popular New Year's superstition rather than an official ceremony. Red is associated with love, vitality, strength, and good fortune, and wearing it at the year-end transition is believed to invite positive outcomes. The tradition is especially visible in shops and advertising during the holiday season, when red garments are marketed as festive gifts.
Some versions of the custom add rules about the garment: it may need to be new, received as a gift, or discarded after New Year's Day. These details are not universal, however, and practices differ by family and region. The consistent feature is the color red and its connection with luck.
Italian New Year's Eve also includes regional foods and public celebrations, but the underwear custom should not be confused with the red clothing traditions of other cultures. In China, for example, red has its own major associations with fortune and celebration, while the Italian practice is specifically a modern year-end superstition.