The pomegranate is traditionally smashed or displayed in Greece at New Year as a symbol of prosperity.
In Greek New Year's customs, a pomegranate may be broken at the entrance of a home after the family returns from church. Its many seeds are associated with abundance, fertility, and good fortune, so a scattering of seeds is treated as an auspicious sign for the household.
The fruit has deep roots in Greek mythology and Mediterranean symbolism. In the myth of Persephone, eating pomegranate seeds links her to the underworld, while ancient Greek art and ritual also used the fruit as a symbol connected with life, regeneration, and fertility.
Practices vary between families and regions, and the pomegranate is not the only New Year's symbol in Greece. Vasilopita, a New Year's cake containing a hidden coin, is another important tradition. The fruit's association with the holiday therefore belongs to a wider set of Greek customs rather than a single compulsory national ceremony.