The Greek lucky new year’s cake
12 o’clock, December 31, all pinned to the clock for the change of the year!
After a good feast, on TV we hear singing “the old year is gone, old year go away now, let’s celebrate guys…” 3,2,1… Fireworks everywhere! Happy New Year!
12:01, Happy New Year wishes, with love, health, kisses, and hugs to our loved ones.
It’s time for the “lucky one” of the year. What does this mean again?
The time of cutting and sharing the new year’s pie, the favorite dessert. Vasilopita, the Greek custom loved by young, and old.
According to orthodox religious tradition, the custom has its roots in Caesarea in Cappadocia. New Year’s pie or vasilopita is a custom believed to have been started by Basil the Great. In Southern Greece, her recipe is cake. In Northern Greece, tsoureki, in western Macedonia, vasilopita is often a cheese pie or leek pie.
But the main common feature is that inside everyone there is a coin, a coin constantinato.
Whoever drops the piece with the coin, you believe that he will be the favored, the fortunate, the lucky one of this year. You can imagine the joy and anticipation of the children. The truth is that miraculously, the “coin” falls on a child. The coin is usually accompanied by a gift that the housewife decides in advance what to donate.
Back to the table… Ready in the center of attention our Vasilopita, already written with icing sugar or melted chocolate, happy new year and the number of the new year. The housewife crucifies her with the knife three times and wishes them a Happy New Year.
The first piece of cake is for Christ, next the Virgin Mary, the House, the Landlord, the Poor Man, St. Basil, and others by kinship, age, and for other loved ones who for various reasons could not be there. We can cut a piece “for the job”, which also claims “her part in luck and prosperity”.
With the entrance of the New year, everyone has hope for good luck, and if the New year’s pie confirms it for you… who catches you.
Happy New Year and if you don’t get the coin – flouri from Vasilopita, remember you are the lucky one to enjoy and share all those unique, loving moments with your loved ones, that gives you, the Greek “sweet” custom of our heart. The lucky coin- flouri, you have already found it.
We wish you a Happy, Lucky New Year, with love.
