A coin is hidden inside Greece’s vasilopita, a cake traditionally cut around New Year’s Day.
Vasilopita means “Saint Basil’s pie” or “Saint Basil’s cake.” Families and communities serve it at New Year, often cutting the cake ceremonially so that the person who receives the concealed coin is said to have good luck for the coming year. The custom is connected with Saint Basil the Great, whose feast day is celebrated on January 1 in the Greek Orthodox tradition.
Recipes vary by region and family. The cake may be sweet and flavored with citrus or spices, while some versions resemble a bread or savory pie. A coin is wrapped carefully before being placed in the mixture, and diners are warned to eat cautiously.
The tradition is sometimes confused with an ordinary king cake because both contain a hidden object. Their histories and calendar customs differ, however. In Greece, the cutting may include symbolic portions for religious figures, the household, or absent family members before individual pieces are distributed.