In the Greek New Year's Eve cake vasilopita, a hidden coin traditionally represents the person who will have good luck.
Vasilopita is cut at New Year in honor of Saint Basil, whose feast day is celebrated in Greece on January 1. The cake may be sweet or savory depending on the region and family tradition. Before serving, the baker hides a coin inside, and slices are distributed according to a customary order that can include the household, absent people, or symbolic recipients.
The person who finds the coin is said to receive good fortune during the coming year. Families take care when cutting and eating the cake because the metal object should not be swallowed. The name means “Basil's pie,” linking the custom to Saint Basil rather than to the Roman god Janus or to a general European birthday-cake practice.