For Greeks, a New Year’s celebration isn’t complete without a Vasilopita. 

Vasilopita means “sweet bread of Basil” and  is prepared with a dash of brandy and a citrusy sweet and aromatic flavoring to symbolise the joy of life everlasting and also the hope that the year ahead will be filled with the sweetness of life that God has granted us. 

Baking the Vasilopita is a big deal in a Greek household, so if you aren’t a dab hand at whipping up this delectable New Year’s confection, what could be a better treat for yourself than to attend a   Vasilopita workshop?

And that’s exactly what took place on Saturday 28 December in our revamped church hall kitchen under the expert direction of Artemis Michaletos who gave a superb baking class for first-timers. 

There was the zingy scent of oranges in the air, lots of crackling of baking paper, the plop of golden egg yolks in bowls, clouds of whispery flour and lots of laughter as they navigated the recipe. It was exactly the kind of fun and uplifting scene that perfectly embodies this time of year. 

The history of this fine tradition of a New Year’s Vasilopita goes far back in time to the remembrance of a miracle wrought by God as a result of St. Basil’s love and defence of his people. 

Orthodox  Christians have observed the tradition of the Vasilopita each year on 1 January which is the date on which St. Basil reposed in God’s grace in the year 379AD. 

The origins of the Vasilopita  are based on various legends but all hinge around St Basil and his plan to save his city Caesarea from a brutal siege. 

He asked the citizens to raise a huge ransom so the enemy would take the money and leave them alone. 

The people pulled out all the stops and donated all the gold and jewellery they had . This huge collective giving so impressed the enemy generals that they decided to cancel the siege and upped sticks and left, without even extracting the payment!

St Basil set about returning the valuables but it was impossible to know what had  belonged to whom. So he came up with a divine-inspired plan…… He baked all the gold and jewellery into loaves of bread and distributed them to the citizens. 

Guess what? Each one miraculously received exactly what they had donated! 

So that’s why we include a gold coin (or any coin) hidden in the Vasilopita, which has morphed into a cake over the centuries. It is usually coated in fluffy icing sugar with the year number traced onto it with almonds or whatever you fancy. 

The coin known as “ flouri” is baked into the cake and then whoever finds it in their piece is said to be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year. 

We cut the Vasilopita on New Year’s Day which is the Feast of Saint Basil The Great and, as you know, we Greeks love a  traditional ritual, so naturally we don’t just cut up the cake randomly. 

In many families, the ceremony begins with the singing of a New Year’s hymn or Kalanda Protochronias. 

Cutting the Vasilopita

The person who cuts it is usually the head of the household and he/she cuts the sign of the cross three times on the cake while saying:

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

This is said to bring luck and blessings to the home.

Then the slices are handed out carefully in a special order:

• The first piece is for Christ – which is placed on the family’s iconostasis  
• The next piece is for the Theotokos – again this can be placed at the iconostasis. 
• Then a piece is cut for St Basil – if the Vasilopita is cut at midnight, then we leave this piece out on the table for St Basil to come and visit the home. 
• Pieces of Vasilopita are now cut for members of the family, again in special order, starting with the head of the household, then each member of the family in order.
• Finally we include a piece for those who have passed on. 

The number of pieces cut, and the exact order will vary from house to house, but there is always a piece left over for the less fortunate. 

When handing out the pieces of Vasilopita, the head of the household wishes each person in turn “Chronia Polla” (Χρόνια πολλά).  

The person who finds the coin in their piece is allowed to whoop and punch the air as they will have good fortune for the entire year to come! 

Our baking class students had an absolute ball turning out their first Vasilopita and took them home to decorate them ready for 1st January (or to make another one to show off their prowess!) 

These get-togethers are so important in the life of our, or any community, as they keep the old traditions alive and also a little updated when needed and who can deny that producing a homemade yummy Vasilopita for the family isn’t a great way to collect Brownie points! 

Big thanks to Artemis who is a whiz at workshops. Can’t wait to see what’s next! 

You’ll have to excuse me – I’m off to the kitchen to keep an eye on my Vasilopita as it puffs up proudly (I hope!).

(Text and photos : Pepe Sofianos)