WHO:
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
Consul General of Greece Emmanuel Koubarakis
The Very Reverend Archimandrite Dionysios Anagnostopoulos, Chancellor Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago
Metropolis Clergy
Elected officials, consuls general and community leaders
WHAT:
Greek Vasilopita Celebration of the New Year
WHEN:
Noon, Thursday, January 22, 2026
WHERE:
Cook County Treasurer’s Office, 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago, Illinois
WHY:
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will honor Chicago’s Greek Community 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.
The Very Reverend Chancellor Anagnostopoulos will help celebrate the New Year, by blessing, cutting and distributing the Vasilopita to see who’ll have especially good fortune in 2026!