Cook County Treasurer Pappas celebrates the New Year with Greek tradition of cutting the Vasilopita

WHO:

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago

Fr. Chrysanthos Kerkeres, St. George Greek Orthodox Church

Fr. Peter Sarolas, St. George Greek Orthodox Church

Fr. Stamatios Sfikas, Annunciation Cathedral

Consul General of Greece Emmanuel Koubarakis

Elected officials, consuls general and community leaders

WHAT:

Greek Vasilopita Celebration of the New Year

WHEN: 

Noon, Tuesday, January 28, 2025

WHERE:

Cook County Treasurer’s Office, 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago, Illinois

WHY:   

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Board President Toni Preckwinkle will honor Chicago’s Consular Corp. with a traditional Vasilopita celebration.  Vasilopita is a Greek New Year’s Day cake with a coin hidden inside. It’s traditional for each family to have its own Vasilopita, which means St. Basil’s bread. A piece is cut for each family member. If the coin is found in your piece, it’s believed you’ll have good luck for the rest of the year.

The tradition started in the 4th century when the archbishop of Caesarea, St. Basil the Great, gave sweetened bread with jewels and gold coins inside to the poor. It has since evolved over the past 1,700 years into an expression of good wishes and a sign of luck.

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael will help celebrate the New Year, by cutting and distributing the Vasilopita to see who will have especially good fortune in 2025!

The Chicago Consular Corps. is made up of leaders from 80 nations who work to foster better economic and cultural relations between their countries and Chicago.