Red is traditionally worn for New Year's Eve underwear in Italy to symbolize luck and love.
In Italy, wearing red underwear at New Year is a popular folk custom associated with good fortune, love, vitality, and protection from bad luck. The clothing is often bought or given for the occasion and may be worn during the transition into the new year.
The tradition is commonly described as requiring the item to be new, and some versions add that it should be received as a gift. These details are customs rather than universal legal or religious rules, so practices differ among families and regions.
Red has long carried strong associations with celebration, passion, fertility, and power in many cultures. The Italian practice is therefore part of a wider group of New Year rituals involving colors and clothing. It is separate from the Spanish custom of eating twelve grapes, even though both traditions are performed around midnight and are often discussed in lists of international New Year customs.