The pomegranate is commonly used in Greece's New Year's Eve tradition as a symbol of abundance and good luck.
In some Greek customs, a pomegranate is carried into or hung in the home, then broken at the threshold after midnight or on New Year's Day. Its many seeds are associated with fertility, prosperity, and the hope that the household will enjoy plentiful blessings in the coming year. The exact ritual differs among families and regions.
Pomegranates have deep roots in Greek mythology and ancient Mediterranean culture. In the myth of Persephone, eating pomegranate seeds links her to the underworld, which helped make the fruit a powerful symbol of life, death, renewal, and seasonal change. That older symbolism gives the fruit meaning beyond its role as a festive food.
The custom is not the same as Greece's vasilopita tradition. Vasilopita is a New Year's cake or bread containing a hidden coin, and the person who finds it is considered lucky for the year.