Overview
- Lentils remain the signature New Year food in Italy, eaten at midnight for their coin-like symbolism of wealth and prosperity.
- Pork dishes such as cotechino and zampone, especially in the Center-North, signify abundance, while pomegranate, grapes, nuts, fish and sweets each carry auspicious meanings.
- Wearing red—often gifted underwear traced to Roman and medieval beliefs—is treated as a protective choice thought to confer vitality and good luck.
- Common rituals include clearing out old items, burning written burdens over a red candle, carrying small amulet sachets, kissing under mistletoe and lighting candles to invite renewal.
- Folk cautions highlight avoiding overnight dishwashing or laundry, lending money, breaking items or using chipped tableware, with some guides also steering clear of backward-moving shellfish and birds at the table.