Breaking the pomegranate on New Year’s Eve is an Ancient Greek holiday tradition, which has continued to this day. On New Year’s Day, the owner of the house took the pomegranate with him and took it to the church to be blessed. When he returns home, he knocks on the door and he is the first person to enter the house that day.
On New Year’s Day, at midnight, the whole family turns off the light in the house and goes out onto the porch, where the owner of the house or the most successful of the household breaks a pomegranate on the threshold so that the seeds scattered throughout the yard. The more grains, the more coins! Children collect the brightest and ripe pomegranate seeds because of how many there are, there will be so many happy and successful days in the coming year.
From this rite came the famous expression “Έσπασε το ρόδι”, which translates as “Broke a pomegranate” and means a successful start to any business. Enter the house with your right foot. After the ceremony of “Breaking the grenade”, everyone returns to the house, crossing the threshold with their right foot, so that all things go well in the coming year.
Author: greeceforu