If you’re not a big lentil fan, chances are that when someone mentions lentils, you don’t really think of some festive, enjoyable food that is fun to eat and easy to prepare. However, if you represent any of those cultures that associate lentils with good fortune, your relationship with lentils is probably different.
The thing is that in some countries, lentils are thought to be a symbol of luck and prosperity. The reason for this is that they look like coins, and coins usually represent money and financial stability. Besides, lentils grow larger when cooked, and that’s another thing that makes them a natural symbol of something small that can turn into abundance.
In this article, we’ll discuss why lentils became a symbol of prosperity and see how different cultures use them to attract good fortune.
How Ancient Rome connected lentils with wealth
The origins of the cultural symbolism of lentils go back to Ancient Rome. One common theory is that it is related to the New Year's tradition that Romans used to have. Specifically, they welcomed the new year by giving friends and relatives a small leather purse that was called a "scarsella." Instead of filling the purse with money, which is still common in many countries when someone gifts you a purse, ancient Romans filled it with lentils. This expressed the hope that each lentil would eventually turn into a coin because of the fact that they easily grow in size when cooked.
Of course, this was only symbolic, but this tradition shows very well how people have always enjoyed connecting luck with the possibility of gaining money. These days, the same idea is still present in various types of entertainment, including online games and gambling platforms, such as Crore Win. On these platforms, the idea of a lucky outcome is exactly what makes the experience entertaining, even though good fortune is never guaranteed, which is similar to lentils bringing good luck.
Why Different Countries Eat Lentils for Good Luck
While the tradition originates in ancient Rome, it’s not limited to Italy. It seems like the countries across the world have carried the tradition forward, and even today, there are plenty of cultures that have their own ways of using lentils to attract wealth and good fortune.
First of all, in Italy, lentils are still an important part of traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations. Italian people usually serve lentils with pork dishes, such as cotechino or zampone. Nutritionally, both pork and lentils are sources of protein, but the reason why Italians do that is mostly related to their beliefs and not the nutrition in this case. In fact, just because they believe that the round shape represents coins, they think that the more lentils you eat at midnight, the more chance you have of receiving money during the upcoming year.
In Latino countries, the tradition is somewhat different but still related to its origins. For example, in Brazil, eating lentils is mostly associated with Italian immigrants, who brought the custom with them. Some people in Brazil now believe that once the year starts, the lentils should be the first food they eat after midnight. According to one version of this legend, you should stand on a chair and eat seven spoonfuls of lentils to attract prosperity in life. But many Brazilian families just serve a big pot of lentil soup on New Year’s Eve.
Unlike them, in Mexico, you don’t necessarily need to eat an entire bowl of lentils. Mexican people usually have one spoon of lentils on New Year’s Day, which is considered enough to bring good fortune. And if people come from very traditional families, they sometimes even give small bags of dried lentils to their guests or leave a bag outside the front door on December 31.
Colombians have found an even easier way to include lentils in their New Year celebrations. Instead of eating them, they prefer to just carry uncooked lentils in their pockets that day so that their pockets aren’t empty as the new year arrives.
For some reason, the lentil tradition is also common in European countries, such as Germany, Hungary, and Czechia, where people just serve lentils alongside pork dishes on New Year’s Eve.
Bottom Line
As you can see, lentils are much more than a cheap ingredient for soups and stews. Even if you’re not from any of these countries, you can still follow the tradition and see whether eating a spoonful of lentils, cooking them alongside pork dishes, or just carrying them in your pockets can bring you prosperity. And even if it doesn’t, it’s always a good idea to add a natural source of protein to your meals, whether it’s New Year’s celebrations or just another random day.
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