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Vasilopita – The Story Behind the Greek New Year’s Cake

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake - associated with Saint Basil (Vassilis) of, whose name day is celebrated on January 1st – New Year’s Day

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake – associated with Saint Basil (Vassilis), whose name day is celebrated on January 1st – New Year’s Day

 

One of the marvelous things about living in Greece is that I get to celebrate Christmas twice.

Greeks do celebrate Christmas on 25th December but as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

In The Greek Orthodox Church, it is Agios Vassilis – Saint Basil, and not Saint Nicholas, who arrives with his sack of presents, not on Christmas Eve but on New Year’s Eve.

 

Agios Vassilios or Saint Basil – The Greek Santa Claus –Visits at New Year

Agios Vassilios or Saint Basil – The Greek Santa Claus –Visits at New Year

 

Albeit living in Greece for over forty years, I just can’t give up my English Christmas, hence the double celebration which does have its pros and cons, twice the fun but twice the work.

This also means two Christmas cakes, traditional English and the Greek Vasilopita.

 

Origins of the Vasilopita:

Greek New year’s Cake

 

Basil the Great – Bishop of Caesarea – Saint Vasileios

Basil the Great – Bishop of Caesarea – Saint Vasileios

 

The Vasilopita takes its name from Saint Basil (Vassilios) of Caesaria, whose name day is celebrated on the first of January, New Year’s Day.

Legend has it, that Saint Basil (330 AD-379 AD), Bishop of Caesaria, suggested to the citizens of Caesaria, that maybe they could find it in their hearts, to raise money, to prevent the siege of the city by the Romans.

Without hesitation, the citizens agreed; they would do anything possible to save their city from the Romans, even if it meant living in poverty.

Each one them donated whatever they could in gold and jewelry.

The Romans were so astonished by this unselfish act of giving, they forgot all about the siege and never even took the valuables gathered up by people of Caesaria.

This left Basil with a dilemma, how was he to return these treasures to their owners, who had given what?

This is when Basil had an “Epiphany moment”; he would bake loaves of bread, lots of them and within each loaf would be concealed items of jewelry and gold and distribute them amongst his people.

At least, in this way, they would receive something back, whether or not it was the exact items they had given, was all down to luck.

You’ll never guess what happened next!

By some twist of fate, or miracle, each citizen received exactly what they given!

In some versions of the story, the threatened siege is replaced with the emperor placing extortionate taxes upon the people, or it’s just Saint Basil’s way of giving charity to the poor without embarrassing them.

 

Saint Basil (Vassilis), distributing bread, in which gold is concealed, to his good people of Caesaria.

Saint Basil (Vassilis), distributing bread, in which gold is concealed, to his good people of Caesaria.

 

With time, Vasilopita has evolved from simple sweetened bread into any type of cake, simple or luxurious (containing a lucky coin; the Flouri in Greek).

 

Constantinato or Flouri – Lucky gold coin

Constantinato or Flouri – Lucky gold coin

 

The cake is usually topped with icing sugar, to represent the snow of winter, then decorated with anything Christmassy and is traditionally cut at midnight on New Year’s Eve by the head of the family, which, in my case, is MGG – My Greek God.

 

MGG - My Greek God, cutting our vasilopita- Greek New Years's cake.

MGG – My Greek God, cutting our vasilopita – Greek New Years’s cake.

 

Cutting the Vasilopita

 

Vasilopita is not cut into any old way the protocol is as follows:

The Vasilopita is scored with the sign of the Cross; the first slice goes to Jesus Christ, the second to The Virgin Mary, the third to Saint Vassilios, the fourth to the family house and from then on, in order of age, to each member of the family.

Now and again, if a darling little granddaughter is involved, there may be a slight of hand during the cutting of the cake.

 

My sweet Mel, my granddaughter, keepin an eye on the Proceedings.

My sweet Mel, my granddaughter, keeping a careful eye on the Proceedings.

 

Whoever finds the coin will be blessed with good luck, health and happiness for the coming year.

 

Recipe for Vasilopita:

Greek New Year’s cake

 

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake

 

When it comes to preparing vasilopita; (the “pita”, at the end of the word, can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie), there are no hard and fast rules; anything goes, as long as you have a cake, concealing a coin, to cut, that’s all that really matters.

 

The Flouri - The Lucky Coin

The Flouri – The Lucky Coin

 

 Usually, it’s a simple sponge cake, decorated to your liking, or tsoureki ; Greek sweet  brioche style bread with Greek spices added to the mixture.

 

Tsoureki type vasilopita - sweet, Greek brioche style bread with Greek spices added to the mixture.

Tsoureki type vasilopita – sweet, Greek brioche style bread with Greek spices added to the mixture.

 

My go to Greek recipe website is “My Greek Dish”, always reliable, you can’t go wrong;

 if you’re looking for a recipe for vasilopita, look no further, trust me, click on this link!

Here are a few of the vasilopittas I’ve produced, I’m rather pleased with them, more importantly, so were my family.

 

Greeker's Vasilopita - Greek New Year's Cake

Greeker’s Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake

 

Xronia Polla (Happy New Year…Greek style).

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