In Greece, the New Year's dessert traditionally containing a hidden coin is vasilopita.
The name means "Saint Basil's pie" or "Saint Basil's bread," depending on the recipe and region. Families cut it at New Year's, often after marking it with the year. The person who receives the slice containing the coin is believed to have good luck for the coming year.
Recipes differ across Greece and Greek communities. Vasilopita may be a sweet bread resembling tsoureki, a cake, or another regional preparation. The coin is wrapped carefully before baking, and the dessert is served in slices for family members, guests, and sometimes absent or symbolic recipients.
The custom is linked to Saint Basil the Great, whose feast day is celebrated on January 1 in Greece. A popular story says Basil needed to return valuables to local people and had them baked into loaves, leaving each person to discover the item meant for them. The exact historical development of the story and recipe is part of Greek tradition.