Sunday, January 2, 2011

Vassilopita


Happy new year everybody!

In greek households, we hide a coin inside a round cake called Vassilopita and cut it just after the turn of the year or in one of the following days. The host distributes the cake between Jesus, St. Vassileios, the Poor, the House, members of the family and the guests. The person who finds the coin in their share is the lucky one of the year.

Kostas Sotiria

cookie 1. Vassilo-pita has no gyro or tzatziki. However it is still a pita.
cookie 2a. Vassilopita is the pie of St. Vassileios, bishop of Caesarea, today Kayseri in Kappadokia, Turkey.  This custom is in memory of the pies he gave away to the people with coins inside to return some money gathered by the church.
cookie 2b. He is the saint that brings presents to good children in Greece. Although while alive, he was a rather ascetic figure, today is dressed in red, is fat with white beard and of course drives a sleigh pulled by flying raindeer. Sounds familiar?
cookie 3. There is no coin in the cheesecake.

2 comments:

  1. So, who got the coin this year? :)
    Happy New Year!

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  2. We wish you a healthy, happy, joyful new year.

    We were so surprised watching this "coin-ful" cake called "vassilo-pita"!!!! We've never heard anything about such a strange thing!!!!
    lol lol lol

    cookie No.... (who cares!!!): And what about the bad children?? Don't they deserve a present???

    cookie No.....(who cares+1): I suggest you put a coin in cheesecake next year, so you'll be able to call it
    vassilo-cheesecake!!! It will be so unique!!! :)))))

    Dimitra+Ali+3 little quarks

    ReplyDelete