A pomegranate is traditionally broken in Greece as a New Year's good-luck custom.
In this practice, a pomegranate is smashed at or near the entrance of a home after the New Year. The many seeds scattered from the fruit symbolize abundance, fertility, prosperity, and good fortune for the household.
The custom connects modern Greek celebrations with the pomegranate's long symbolic history around the Mediterranean. In ancient Greek mythology, the fruit appears prominently in the story of Persephone and the underworld, although the modern New Year's ritual is a distinct folk practice.
The timing and exact method vary by region and family. Some households break the fruit immediately after midnight, while others do so after returning from church on New Year's Day. The fruit is also associated with Saint Basil's Day, celebrated in Greece on January 1.