Why Lentils Are Associated with Abundance in New Year's Rituals: Traditions and Meanings

Lentils are a humble food with a rich history intertwined with tradition and symbolism. When preparing your New Year celebration, you might find yourself adding a dish of lentils to your menu. If you've ever wondered why lentils are linked to abundance in New Year rituals, the answer lies both in their shape and in their history. These small legumes resemble coins, which has led many cultures to associate them with fortune and prosperity.You may be interested: 6 foods for New Year ritualsAround the world, New Year traditions often focus on attracting luck and wealth for the coming year. In countries like Italy, lentils are consumed right after midnight, with the hope of bringing wealth. The idea is that by eating lentils, which symbolize money due to their rounded shape, you will be planting the seeds for a new year full of economic prosperity.With each spoonful of these nutritious legumes, the desire is reinforced that your upcoming year will be filled with as many opportunities and successes as there are lentils on your plate. The custom of including lentils in New Year celebrations varies from place to place, but the common background shows a deep hope for abundance and well-being for you and your loved ones. So when cooking your lentils, you are participating in a ritual that transcends cultures and generations, a ritual that promises a prosperous new beginning.Symbolism of LentilsLentils have been compared to coins since ancient times due to their flat, round shape. This makes them a symbol of prosperity and abundance. In Roman culture, it was common to gift a small bag of lentils as a wish for wealth in the coming year.Talking about lentils is talking about hopes for abundance for the New Year. You will discover that this legume symbolizes prosperity and fortune in different corners of the world.Rituals in Different CulturesItaly In Italy, you will find the dish Cotechino with Lenticchie, especially on January 1st. Lentils represent coins, and it is believed that the more you eat, the more wealth you will have.SpainHere, tradition dictates eating a spoonful of lentils right after midnight. Your serving of lentils becomes a harbinger of good fortune for your finances in the coming year.BrazilBrazilian people do not fall behind; they choose lentils as the first dish of the year, often accompanied by rice, seeking to ensure a new cycle full of economic successes.It is not surprising that many families continue to incorporate this dish into their celebrations, is it? It reflects an act of faith, where what you eat transforms into a metaphor for your dreams and goals. And who knows, perhaps there is some truth in this symbolic act that is repeated year after year in so many homes.Do you already know which lentil recipes you will prepare for your New Year's dinner? Here we leave you our best lentil recipes.