The Biblical Roots of a Dish Served for St Sylvester's Day

Today is St Sylvester's Day, the last day of the year. In Italy, it is celebrated by eating lentils, thought to bring good luck in the coming year. It is the same dish for which Esau sold his birthright.

From Aleteia

By V.M. Traverso

It is believed that eating lentils on January 31 brings good fortune in the year ahead, and ancient Romans would exchange lentils on New Year's eve.

Every year on December 31, Italians rush to get the last missing ingredients to prepare the “Cenone di San Silvestro,” the dinner in honor of St. Sylvester. Sylvester was pope from 314 to 335, marking the beginning of the Christian Roman Empire, and he passed away on December 31, 335. Among the many delicacies served for the occasion, one dish can’t be missed for a proper St. Sylvester dinner: lentil stew. 

It is believed that eating lentils, a nutritious legume, will bring good fortune in the year ahead. As is the case with many food traditions, the origins of this New Year’s Eve ritual are a byproduct of Italy’s centuries-old diverse history.  

Historians know that a similar tradition was in place in ancient Rome, where people would exchange small bags of lentils with family and friends at the start of the new year, which according to the Roman calendar would fall around the beginning of March. 

Lentils were in fact considered a superfood, rich in protein and minerals, and their rounded shape was similar to that of Roman coins, the sestertius, making the earthy legume a symbol of prosperity.

But this ancient food ritual has ties to the Bible, too. In Genesis (25: 29-34) Esau trades his firstborn birthright for a plate of lentils made by his brother Jacob. This contributed to lentils' reputation as a plate associated with positive changes to one’s fortune.

In Genesis (25, 29-34) Esau trades his firstborn birthright in exchange for a plate of lentils.

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Recipe

To make St. Sylvester’s lentil stew, you need lentils (roughly 2.4 ounces for each person), 1 sage leaf, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, olive oil. 

First, soak the lentils in cold water for at least a few hours up to a full day. When the lentils are softened, boil them over high heat for about an hour. Drain them and let them cool down. In the meantime, place olive oil and diced vegetables in a skillet, adding sage. Let everything brown for about 15 minutes. 

Then, add the lentils and mix the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper and mix until the lentils are infused with the flavor of the sage and vegetables. St. Sylvester’s lentil stew is now ready to serve!