Lentils are traditionally eaten for good luck at New Year in Italy because their shape resembles coins.
Italian New Year meals commonly include lentils, especially alongside cotechino or zampone, two pork specialties associated with the holiday. The small, round legumes are linked symbolically with coins and therefore with prosperity. Eating them at the transition into the new year expresses a wish for financial good fortune.
The custom is a food tradition rather than a claim that lentils guarantee wealth. Recipes and serving times vary by region and family. Some households eat the dish at midnight, while others serve it as part of New Year’s Day lunch.
Cotechino is a cooked pork sausage, while zampone is a stuffed pig’s trotter; both are often paired with lentils in northern and central Italian celebrations. Lentils also have a much older place in Mediterranean cooking because they are nutritious, inexpensive, and easy to store.