Lentils are traditionally eaten at Italian New Year's celebrations because their round shape resembles coins.
Italian New Year meals commonly pair lentils with cotechino, a seasoned pork sausage, or with zampone, a stuffed pig's trotter. The lentils symbolize money and prosperity because their small, coin-like appearance suggests wealth. Eating them is therefore a wish for abundance in the coming year.
Cotechino is a cooked sausage associated especially with Modena, while zampone is another preparation from the same broad culinary tradition. The dishes are often served after midnight or on New Year's Day, depending on regional and family customs. Pork can symbolize progress or abundance because pigs root forward rather than backward, although interpretations vary.
Italian lentil customs are distinct from Spanish midnight grapes and Japanese temple-bell ceremonies. Several cultures use round foods as prosperity symbols, but the Italian combination of lentils with cotechino or zampone is particularly characteristic of the New Year table.