A pomegranate is traditionally smashed against a doorway in Greece during New Year's Eve or New Year's Day celebrations.
In the custom, a pomegranate is broken at the entrance of a home, and the number of seeds scattered is interpreted as a sign of the household's luck, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year. The ritual is connected with the fruit's many seeds, which make it a natural symbol of abundance and fertility.
The practice is especially associated with Greek New Year observances, including the period around Saint Basil's Day on January 1. In some households, the person who enters the home first after midnight or after a church visit may perform the smashing.
Customs vary by region and family, so the exact timing and interpretation are not universal. The tradition is separate from vasilopita, the Greek New Year cake that contains a hidden coin for luck.