Ευτυχισμένος ο Νέος Χρόνος! Happy New Year!

Καλή Χρονιά!!!

Εύχομαι ο Νέος Χρόνος να φέρει ευτυχία και χαρά σε κάθε σπιτικό, πάνω απ'όλα υγεία και αγάπη, αλλά και μιά καλή τύχη σε όλους τους άνεργους νέους που έχουν χάσει τις ελπίδες τους για μιά επαγγελματική αποκατάσταση.

Happy New Year!!!

I wish you a very happy new year, full of joy, love and good health  for yourselves and your families as well as good luck to all  youg people who have lost their hopes for a decent job because of the crisis in Greece

Γιά τον δικό μας, Αϊ Βασίλη, τον αληθινό 'Αγιο και για την παράδοση της Βασιλόπιττας, θα μου επιτρέψετε ν'αφιερώσω αυτήν την ανάρτηση στις ξένες φίλες bloggers.

Saint Basil's Feast Day is observed on January 1, the beginning of the New Year and the Epiphany season known as the Vasilopita Observance.

In Greek tradition, Saint Basil brings gifts to children every January 1 (unlike other traditions where Father Christmas arrives either on December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day) or on Christmas Eve (December 24). 

 It is traditional on St Basil's Day to serve vasilopita, a rich bread baked with a coin inside. It is customary on his feast day to visit the homes of friends and relatives, to sing New Year's carols, and to set an extra place at the table for Saint Basil. Basil, being born into a wealthy family, gave away all his possessions to the poor, the underprivileged, those in need, and children. A similar story exists for another Greek bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. Over the centuries the two legends have blended together, though the Western Santa Claus remains associated with Nicholas, while the Eastern "Santa" is identified with Basil.’

This is a brioche type vasilopita which we bought at our bakery.We already cut it tonight at 00:05 hrs at home and my husband found the lucky coin in his slice!   

Αυτή την έτοιμη βασιλόπιτα/τσουρέκι, που αγοράσαμε από τον φούρνο μας την κόψαμε ήδη τα μεσάνυχτα και το φλουρί έπεσε στον Νίκο!

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 the Lord, St. Basil and other saints, the poor and the household. In older times, the coin often was a valuable one, such as a gold sovereign. Nowadays there is often a prearranged gift, money, or otherwise, to be given to the coin recipient.

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 Great Lent, in celebrations that range from impromptu potluck gatherings to formal receptions or balls.

  This one is a rich cake type vasilopita, which I baked yesterday and we will cut it at my mother's home, just after lunch, with the whole family around the festive table.  I will let you know who will be the lucky winner of the coin. 

 Αυτήν που έφτιαξα εγώ στο σπίτι, τύπου πλούσιου αρωματικού κέϊκ με αλεσμένους ξηρούς καρπούς, θα την κόψουμε στο σπίτι της μητέρας μου, μετά το μεσημεριανό οικογενειακό πρωτοχρονιάτικο τραπέζι.  

The traditions surrounding vasilopita are very similar to western European celebrations of the Twelfth Night and Epiphany: the Provençal Gâteau des Rois and the Northern French galette des rois, the Catalonian tortell, and the Louisiana king cake. Hasluck (1927) connects both the western and the eastern celebrations to the Roman Saturnalia and the ancient Greek Kronia, the festival of King Cronus, which involved selecting a "king" by lot.

Nonetheless, in popular tradition, vasilopita is associated with a legend of Saint Basil. 

 According to one story, St. Basil called on the citizens of Caesarea to raise a ransom payment to stop the siege of the city. Each member of the city gave whatever they had in gold and jewellery. When the ransom was raised, the enemy was so embarrassed by the act of collective giving that he called off the siege without collecting payment. St. Basil was then tasked with returning the unpaid ransom, but had no way to know which items belonged to which family. So he baked all of the jewellery into loaves of bread and distributed the loaves to the city, and by a miracle each citizen received their exact share, the legend goes. In some tellings the sieging chieftain is replaced with an evil emperor levying a tax, or simply with St. Basil attempting to give charity to the poor without embarrassing them.

Source: Wikipedia

Along with the gifts I will bring to my family and relatives,  I made some lucky charms to offer them, with my good wishes for a healthy, prosperous and lucky year.

Έφτιαξα κι εγώ λίγα γουράκια για το καλό του νέου χρόνου, που εύχομαι να φέρουν καλή τύχη στους παραλήπτες τους.

Αλλά έλαβα κι εγώ δύο όμορφα δωράκια που έφτασαν μόλις χθές στο ταχυδρομείο!

But I would also like to show you the nice gifts which arrived yesterday for me in the post!

 A nice wall calendar made by Pinelia out of an old CD and a sparkling Christmat card full of good wishes. Thank you so much, my dear Pinelia! 

 'Ενα ημερολόγιο τοίχου από CD με ντεκουπάζ, και μιά γκλιτεράτη καρτούλα από την καλή μας Πινελιά. Σ'ευχαριστώ πολύ, πολύ Πηνελόπη μου και σου εύχομαι υγεία και ευτυχία σε σένα και την οικογένειά σου. Να χαίρεσαι και το μωρουδάκι σου!!!!

Αλλά και ένα όμορφο πλεκτό κασκώλ, με υπέροχα χρώματα, που είχα την τύχη να κερδίσω στο giveaway της αγαπημένης μας Χριστίνας από τις Νεραϊδοδημιουργίες, το οποίο συνοδευόταν από μια γλυκιά καρτούλα με ευχές. Θα το φορέσω σήμερα κι όλας, ανήμερα της Πρωτοχρονιάς. Σ'ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ Χριστινάκι!!!! Και σου εύχομαι όλα τα καλά και ό,τι παραπάνω επιθυμείς να το αποκτήσεις μέσα στον νέο χρόνο που μόλις ξεκίνησε.

But also, this beautiful knitted scarf from Christina, which was her giveaway on her name day on Christmas day and which I have had the chance to win. Thank you very very much, my dear Christina and thank you for your sweet card with your kind wishes! I will be very pleased to wear your nice scarf. Actuαlly I will  wear it already today, on the 1st day of the new year!!!! 

Πολλές, πολλές προσωπικές καλές ευχές σε όλους, για μιά ευτυχισμένη χρονιά!!!

Many,  many personal good wishes to all for a very happy New Year!!!