Greek families traditionally smash a pomegranate at midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck.
In Greece, the pomegranate is associated with abundance, fertility and prosperity because its tough skin contains many seeds. The New Year's custom involves breaking the fruit, often at the entrance to a home or church, with the scattered seeds interpreted as a sign of the good fortune expected in the coming year.
The practice is connected with broader Greek New Year's traditions rather than being a universal rule followed in every household. Families may place a pomegranate near an entrance before the holiday and break it at the change of year. Regional and family variations affect the exact timing and method.
The fruit also has a long place in Greek mythology and religion. In the myth of Persephone, pomegranate seeds link the underworld and the seasonal cycle, although the modern New Year's custom should not be reduced to that single mythological story.