What is the traditional name for Italy's New Year's Eve feast, often featuring lentils for prosperity?

Cenone di Capodanno is the traditional Italian New Year's Eve feast, often featuring lentils for prosperity.

The Italian phrase means “New Year's Eve dinner.” Families and friends commonly gather for a long meal on December 31, with regional menus that can include pasta, seafood, sparkling wine, and other festive dishes. The exact courses differ widely across Italy.

Lentils are especially associated with the meal because their small, round shape resembles coins. Eating them is therefore linked with hopes for financial abundance in the coming year. A common pairing is cotechino or zampone, two preparations of seasoned pork, although vegetarian and regional alternatives are also widespread.

Cenone is not a single standardized national menu. It is better understood as a shared name for the celebratory supper. In Italian, Capodanno means New Year's Day or the New Year, while cenone refers to the substantial festive dinner.