A coin is traditionally hidden inside Greece's New Year's cake, vasilopita, to decide who receives good luck.
Vasilopita is named for Saint Basil, whose feast day is celebrated in Greece on January 1. Families cut the cake at the start of the year, often after marking it with a cross. The person who finds the concealed coin in their slice is said to receive luck for the coming year, and some households also cut symbolic slices for absent relatives, the home, or Saint Basil.
Recipes vary by region and family. Some versions resemble a sweet bread, while others are closer to a citrus-flavored cake. The key shared feature is the hidden flouri, the coin placed inside before baking or inserted afterward, depending on the recipe.
The custom is sometimes confused with Christmas gift traditions because Saint Basil is associated with gift-giving in Greece. Vasilopita is specifically linked to New Year's Day and the annual cutting ceremony, not to the midnight grape custom of Spain.