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New Year celebrating traditions

How Greeks celebrate the New Year???

In Greek culture, the pomegranate holds much significance. It is a sign of luck, prosperity and fertility. On New Year’s Eve, it is common for Greek families and close friends to gather together to spend time with each other. 

 Each house leaves a pomegranate in the front door.  As the time nears midnight, the  owner of the house will turn off all the lights in order to welcome the New Year. The first person who happens to enter the house after midnight has to smash the pomegranate with his/hers right foot. After the First Footer enters and smashes the pomegranate, seeds will be revealed and fall out of the pomegranate. The more seeds that are scattered at the foot of the front door of the home, the more luck the  family and the house will have for the New Year. Pomegranates are looked at as a fruit that has the potential to bring luck. If the First Footer does his or her job correctly, the household will experience plenty of good luck throughout the year!

How do you celebrate New Year???


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M Adamopoulou 5 years ago

Oh I forgot... Santa Claus in Greece comes on New Years Eve!!!! Perhaps his journey is a very long one so he arrives in Greece on New Years Eve to give joy, hope, happiness to everyone!!!!!

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Laura, Communi… 5 years ago

We always celebrated New Years Eve with watching the live midnight countdown on TV and toasting with sparkling grape juice! Nowadays, parents who would like an earlier bedtime for their children can find plenty of 'Countdown videos' on Youtube. ;)

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M Adamopoulou 5 years ago

Laura, Nobody sleeps in Greece, even children stay up until midnight to celebrate New Years Eve. Celebration is for everyone, as I said earlier Santa Claus is visiting Greek homes in New Years Eve, so who can sleep....