Title: Pomegranates

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Greek Superstition (Good luck)
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: Greece
• Informant: Evangelia “Lia” Constantine
• Date Collected: November 2, 2018

Informant Data:

• Evangelia “Lia” Constantine is a sophomore studying Neuroscience at Dartmouth College. She is on the Dartmouth Field Hockey team and engaged in medical research with one of her professors. Lia was born in Fredericksburg Virginia, but her family is of strong Greek origin. Her father lived in Greece before coming to the United States, and her mother’s parents were both born and raised in Greece. As a child, her grandparents were extremely influential in instilling aspects of Greek folklore in her life. Her favorite Greek custom is the roasting of a goat on Easter Sunday. Her family practices many greek traditions on a daily and annual basis.

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: In Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate features prominently in the story of Persephone and her marriage to Hades, the god of the Underworld. Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her to the Underworld to be his wife. Persephone’s mother, Demeter, goddess of fertility, considering her daughter lost, went into mourning and thus all things on earth ceased to grow. Zeus, Persephone’s father, commanded his brother Hades to release her, however Hades had tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, and it was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink in the Underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. Since Persephone had eaten the six pomegranate seeds,  she had to remain in the Underworld for six months of the year. Hades agreed to release her to the world above for the other six months of the year, to be reunited with her mother. This is how the ancient Greeks explained the cycle of the seasons: when Persephone was with her mother, the earth flourished and the crops grew (Spring and Summer); when she returned to Hades, Demeter mourned and the earth was infertile (Autumn and Winter).
• Social Context: Pomegranate is an ancient red fruit, which has been the symbol of fertility, prosperity and regeneration for thousands of years in Greece and in Greek mythology. During Christmas time in Greece you see pomegranates everywhere as most Greek households hang this rich fruit above the main entrance door of their house- some people also get the fruit blessed at Church before doing so.

Item:

• A little before the clock strikes twelve- marking the advent of the New Year- it is the custom to turn off all lights and for family members to step outside their home, symbolising the old year that has passed. The family members then step in again with their right foot first after midnight. The person who enters immediately after the first footer rolls the pomegranate holding it in their right hand and forces it against the door to smash it open. It is said that the number of seeds that scatter around is proportional to the amount of good luck the family will receive within the upcoming year.  It is also believed that someone who gets a red spot on them by the fruit’s juice will be extremely lucky that year.

Informant Comments:

• “Anytime I see my Yaya she always gives me and my sisters pomegranates to take home and eat because she thinks they will give her more grandchildren.”

Collector:

• Madeline Donahue