A pomegranate is traditionally smashed at Greek New Year's celebrations to symbolize prosperity.
In Greece, families may smash a pomegranate at the entrance of a home on New Year's Day, often after attending church. The many seeds are associated with abundance, fertility, health, and good fortune. The number of seeds scattered is sometimes treated as an encouraging sign for the household’s year ahead.
The custom connects modern Greek practice with the fruit’s long history in Mediterranean religion and mythology. Pomegranates appear in ancient Greek stories, including the myth of Persephone, and have remained symbols of life, regeneration, and plenty.
The practice varies by region and family. It should not be confused with the Spanish custom of eating twelve grapes at midnight: both use fruit as a New Year symbol, but the Greek tradition centers on breaking a pomegranate rather than counting chimes.