In Serbia, the traditional Christmas bread with a hidden coin is called česnica.
Česnica is a ceremonial round loaf and an essential part of Serbian Christmas dinner. Families often place a coin in the dough before baking; some regions also add small symbolic objects representing livestock, crops, or household prosperity. Before eating, the loaf may be rotated three times and then broken among family members.
Finding the coin is traditionally believed to bring exceptional luck in the coming year. The name is linked to čest, meaning “share,” reflecting the custom of dividing the bread among family members. Česnica is not always identical across Serbia: in Vojvodina, for example, it may be a layered pastry containing nuts, raisins, honey, and a coin.
A common mix-up is with vasilopita, a similar coin-filled New Year’s bread associated especially with Greece. Česnica is specifically the Serbian Christmas tradition, generally eaten on 7 January because the Serbian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar for Christmas.