If you think holiday décor is all about twinkling lights, evergreen wreaths, and shiny ornaments, Greece is here to surprise you.
Among the many heartfelt customs that shape the Greek Christmas season, one stands out as both unusual and wonderfully symbolic: hanging a giant uprooted onion on the front door.
Yes, luck is everything in Greece, especially at Christmas. And for centuries, Greek households have welcomed the New Year not with mistletoe or holly, but with a hardy Mediterranean bulb called Drimia maritima.
What Exactly Is This Mysterious Squill?
The Drimia maritima, grows abundantly across the Mediterranean, from rocky coastal cliffs to open countryside. You’ll spot it across Greece, where its tall white flower stalks pierce the landscape in late summer.
But the real magic of the bulb appears during winter.
Uproot it—yes, completely remove it from the soil—and something remarkable happens: it keeps growing. Even hung on a door, far from the earth, the bulb continues to sprout long, green, spear-like leaves. This resilience is exactly what has captured the imagination of Greeks for generations.
A Symbol of Life, Luck, and New Beginnings
According to tradition, on New Year’s Eve, the lady of the house would dig up a squill bulb and hang it on the front door. It served as a good-luck charm, but also as a reminder of something deeper.
The plant’s ability to thrive against all odds turned it into a powerful emblem of:
- Fertility – the promise of new beginnings
- Immortality – endurance through hardship
- Good fortune – a blessing for the year ahead
In many villages, families still revive this old custom. Modern Greeks may not rely on the squill the way their ancestors did, but they still appreciate the symbolism: resilience, hope, and the strength to grow even when uprooted.
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The Greek Heaven Team