Lentils are the traditional Italian New Year's Eve food symbolizing prosperity through their coin-like shape.
In Italy, lentils are commonly served around New Year's Eve, often with cotechino or zampone, two types of seasoned pork. Their small, round appearance is associated with coins, while their ability to swell during cooking symbolizes growing wealth and abundance.
The dish is especially linked with the arrival of the new year because eating it is thought to invite prosperity in the months ahead. Regional recipes vary, and families may season lentils with vegetables, herbs, or broth.
Lentils are sometimes confused with panettone, the sweet Milanese Christmas bread widely eaten during the holiday season. Panettone is festive, but the prosperity symbolism of New Year's Eve in Italy is particularly associated with lentils and, in many meals, pork.