In Greece's New Year's tradition, a pomegranate may be smashed against a doorway for good luck.
The pomegranate is associated with abundance because one fruit can contain a great number of seeds. In the Greek custom, the fruit may be broken at the entrance of a home on New Year's Day or around the New Year period. The spread of its seeds is interpreted as a sign of prosperity, fertility, health, and good fortune.
The ritual draws on symbolism with deep roots in Greek culture and mythology. Pomegranates appear in ancient stories, including the myth of Persephone, although the modern household custom is a distinct festive practice rather than a reenactment of that myth.
Families vary in who breaks the fruit and exactly when it is done. The key object is the pomegranate, whose many seeds make it especially suited to a ritual wishing for abundance in the year ahead.