A coin is hidden inside Greece’s New Year cake, vasilopita, to choose the year’s lucky person.
Vasilopita is traditionally cut on New Year’s Day, although some families serve it during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Before slicing, the household may mark the cake with a cross and dedicate portions to religious figures, the home, or family members. The person who receives the slice containing the coin is believed to have good fortune for the year.
The cake is named for Saint Basil the Great, whose feast day is observed on January 1 in Greece. A popular legend connects the hidden object with a story in which Saint Basil returned valuables to their owners by placing them inside loaves.
Recipes vary by region and household. The coin is wrapped carefully before baking so it remains hidden and does not make the cake unsafe to eat.