A pomegranate is traditionally broken in Greece on New Year's Day to bring prosperity.
In Greek New Year's customs, a pomegranate may be smashed against the entrance of a home after the family returns from church or at the start of the year. The many seeds scattered from the fruit symbolize abundance, fertility, health, and good fortune. Families often interpret more widely dispersed seeds as a favorable sign for the year ahead.
The custom draws on the pomegranate's long symbolic history in the Mediterranean. In ancient Greek mythology, the fruit is associated with Persephone, while later Christian and regional traditions gave it additional meanings linked with life and abundance.
The exact timing and method vary by family and locality. The fruit is not eaten merely as part of the midnight countdown in every Greek household, and the custom should not be confused with Spain's practice of eating twelve grapes at midnight.