What is the meaning of the “Vasilopita”?
The Greeks make the New Year’s Cake one day before the first day of the New Year. It is a round cake covered with powder sugar, named Vasilopita. Βασιλόπιτα in Greek means the cake of Santa Claus, Agios Vasilis. The ingredients are butter, sugar, eggs, milk, cinammon and … a coin. The Greeks put one coin inside it, named “φλουρί”.
The coin of Vasilopita
The Greeks cut and eat the Vasilopita right after the change of the year. After 12 am of the first day of January, they sing a traditional song and the head of the family house cuts the New Year’s Cake in a lot of pieces. The first pieces are for Jesus Christ, Santa Claus and the poor. All the rest are cut for the members of the family. Whoever takes the piece with the coin, is said to be the lucky man or woman of the New Year. The family offers a symbolic gift to the winner.
Vasilopita is cut in all the working places
Vasilopita is cut not only in houses but in all the working places. It is a tradition for the public and private companies to gather and cut the Vasilopita one the first day of January. Most times the gift of the winner is a bottle of wine. The head of the companies offers the gift to the winner. All in all this tradition brings families, the heads and the employees of companies together.
Λεξιλόγιο – Vocabulary
| 1. τυχερός – τυχερή – τυχερό | lucky |
| 2. ο νικητής | winnwe |
| 3. φτιάχνω | to make |
| 4. προσφέρω | to offer |
| 5. η παράδοση | tradition |
