Lentils are traditionally eaten for prosperity on New Year's Eve in Italy.
Italian New Year's meals often pair lentils with cotechino, a large, slowly cooked pork sausage, or with zampone, a stuffed pig's trotter. The small, round lentils resemble coins, so they are treated as a symbol of wealth and financial good fortune in the coming year.
The meal is especially associated with the transition from December 31 to January 1, although families may serve it on New Year's Day as well. Pork contributes another positive symbol: pigs are associated with abundance because they root forward rather than backward.
Regional recipes vary considerably. Lentils may be simmered with vegetables and herbs, while the sausage or stuffed trotter supplies the richer centerpiece. The custom is not a claim that the food guarantees wealth; it is a symbolic food tradition, like many New Year's dishes around the world that express hopes for prosperity.