Lentils are traditionally eaten for good luck at New Year's in Italy.
Their small, round shape is commonly compared with coins, so lentils symbolize wealth and prosperity for the year ahead. They are often served after midnight or as part of the New Year's Eve meal, frequently alongside cotechino or zampone, two traditional pork preparations.
Cotechino is a cooked pork sausage, while zampone is a stuffed pig's trotter. Pork can symbolize abundance because pigs root forward rather than backward, although customs and explanations vary by region and family.
Italian New Year's traditions are not identical everywhere. Food customs differ across the country, but lentils have become a widely recognized symbol of financial good fortune. The association is symbolic rather than a claim that eating them guarantees wealth.