Have you ever spent New Year’s Day in a Greek house? If you have, you are already familiar with vasilopita (βασιλόπιτα, vasilopita) a sweet pie that Greeks eat in New Year’s Day. Its basic ingredients are flour (αλεύρι,alevri)  sugar (ζάχαρη, zahari) eggs (αβγά, avga) and milk (γάλα, gala). The number of the new year is formed by sugar or almonds on the pie. The most indispensable “ingredient” though, is a coin which is hidden inside the pie when the dough is still unbaked. Whoever gets it is supposed to have good luck the whole year. Sometimes, the person who finds the hidden coin gets a present –usually money- by the owner of the house. The coin is called φλουρί (flouri, gold coin) although it is not gold.

About the ritual

The tradition of preparing a sweet pie to celebrate the New Year has its roots in the Byzantine period. Vasilopita is made for the honor of Saint Basil (ΆγιοςΒασίλης, Agios Vasilis), who is the Greek Santa Claus.

In Greece, we usually spend New Year’s Eve with family. The vasilopita is always cut after midnight and it is supposed to bring good luck to the family for the new year. The pie is cut by the man who is the father or the husband in the family, in the presence of the members of the family and the guests. Before cutting the pie, the man makes three times the sign of the cross with the knife and then he cuts equal slices. Before he cuts a slice he has to say out loud who is the slice for. The first three slices are dedicated to Jesus, Mary, and Saint Basil. This is a symbolic act, and the pie is finally consumed by the members of the family and the guests. The next slices are for the landlord, the landlady, the children, and the guests, giving priority to the eldest and closest relatives to the man and the woman. Some slices are for members of the family which are not present, or they are dedicated to sick people, or people in need. The last slice is dedicated to the poor (τοκομμάτιτουφτωχού, to komati tou ftohou).

This is the traditional ritual of the cut of the pie. However, people nowadays are sometimes very creative when they share the slices: non religious people dedicate the first slices to the universe , the trees and the mountains, some others like to name more abstract concepts such as love, peace or kindness,  and some people have a slice cut for their pets.

If you want to go Greek this New Year’s Eve, watch the videos with instructions on how to prepare a vasilopita. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdS7-_DJ_MQ