Vasilopita

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Vasilopita

Type	Bread or cake
Place of origin	Greece or Cyprus
Media: Vasilopita

Vasilopita (

In other areas of the Balkans, the tradition of cake with a hidden coin during winter holidays exists, but is not associated with Saint Basil at all. The practice is documented among Ukrainians (a pirog is cut); Romanians; Serbs ("česnica", eaten on Christmas); Albanians ("pitta", eaten by both Christians and Muslims); Bulgarians (pogacha, Novogodishna banitsa (for New Year's), Svety Vasileva pogacha); etc.^[1]

Ritual

On New Year's Day families cut the vasilopita to bless the house and bring good luck for the new year. This is usually done at the midnight of New Year's Eve. A coin is hidden in the bread by slipping it into the dough before baking. At midnight the sign of the cross is etched with a knife across the cake. A piece of cake is sliced for each member of the family and any visitors present at the time, by order of age from eldest to youngest. Slices are also cut for various symbolic people or groups, depending on local and family tradition. They may include

Many private or public institutions, such as societies, clubs, workplaces, companies, etc., cut their vasilopita at a convenient time between New Year's Day and the beginning of the

In Bulgarian cuisine, pita or pitka (Bulgarian: пита or питка) is served on special occasions. It is a round bread loaf, which can sometimes be flavoured. Its preparation and consumption can have a ritual meaning. For example, on the night before Christmas Eve, (Bulgarian: Бъдни вечер - Badni vecher) each housewife prepares a pita and decorates it with symbols to bring fertility to the cattle and a rich harvest from the fields, as well as prosperity to each member of the household. She hides a coin in it. Whoever finds the coin will be the healthiest and the wealthiest of the family. Prior to marriage, a bride's future mother-in-law prepares a pita for the newlyweds and sifts the flour seven times, so that the pita will be soft as their future life together. Pita is also prepared for guests. A traditional welcome in Bulgaria includes pita and honey or salt. The meaning of this ritual can be found in the expression "to welcome someone with bread and salt" (since bread is an important part of Bulgarian cuisine - and as a Bulgarian proverb says, "no one is bigger than bread", and the salt is the basic ingredient that gives flavour to every meal). ^{[citation needed]}

Name

The name "βασιλόπιτα" comes from βασιλεύς 'king' + πίτα 'cake', but was reinterpreted as "Basil's (Βασίλειος) cake".^[1][4][5] In Cyprus it is also known as vasilopoulla ("βασιλοπούλλα").^[5]

See also

• King cake

References