Vasilopita is the Greek New Year cake traditionally baked with a hidden coin for luck.
Families cut the cake around New Year’s Day, and the person who receives the slice containing the coin is said to have good fortune for the coming year. The cake is named after Saint Basil, whose feast day is celebrated on January 1 in the Greek Orthodox tradition. In some households, slices are also set aside symbolically for religious figures, the household, or absent family members.
Recipes differ by region and family. Vasilopita may resemble a sweet bread, a rich cake, or a citrus-flavored loaf, and it is often decorated with the year in powdered sugar or icing. The coin is wrapped carefully before baking so that it remains hidden and safe to find.
Vasilopita is sometimes confused with tsoureki, a braided Easter bread, or with baklava, a layered pastry made with nuts and syrup. Those are important Greek foods, but the hidden-coin New Year tradition specifically identifies vasilopita.