A pomegranate is traditionally smashed at midnight during Greek New Year's celebrations to bring prosperity.
In the Greek custom, a pomegranate may be thrown against the entrance of a home on New Year's Day. The number of seeds scattered is traditionally interpreted as a sign of the household's luck, abundance, or prosperity for the coming year. Some families perform the ritual after returning from church.
The fruit has long carried symbolic meanings in Greek culture and mythology. Its many seeds make it a natural emblem of fertility, abundance, and renewal. The tradition therefore connects the physical breaking of the fruit with hopes for a plentiful year.
This practice is distinct from Spain's custom of eating twelve grapes at midnight. Greek New Year observances also include vasilopita, a cake containing a hidden coin; the person who finds it is considered lucky.