What red-underwear tradition is associated with New Year's Eve in Italy and several other countries?
Answer
Wearing red underwear
Wearing red underwear is a New Year's Eve tradition associated with Italy and several other countries.
The custom is commonly linked with luck, love, vitality, and prosperity in the coming year. In Italy, people may wear red underwear on December 31, and popular versions of the tradition often say that the item should be new and sometimes received as a gift. Details differ by region and family.
Red has long carried associations with power, celebration, fertility, and protection in different cultures. The modern New Year's custom is therefore part of a wider network of seasonal color symbolism rather than a single ancient rite with one universally documented origin.
This tradition is separate from Italy's food customs, such as eating lentils, which are often associated with coins and financial good fortune. Cultural practices vary, so not every Italian household follows the underwear custom.