In the years of emperor Julian the Paravatis, when Byzantium declared war on Persia, Julian passed through Caesarea with his army. He then ordered the whole province to be taxed, and the money was to be taken on his way back to Constantinople. Thus, the inhabitants were forced to give what they each had in gold coins, etc. But Julian was killed ingloriously in a battle in the war with the Persians, so he never passed through Caesarea again. Then Saint Basel who was a bishop in Caesarea gave an order and from the collected gold half of it was given to the poor and the rest was distributed to the inhabitants in an original way. He instructed them to bake breads, and in each bread, he put inside a coin or gold piece, then he distributed them to the houses, so that while eating the breads the inhabitants always found something inside. Thus, the custom of the Saint Basel’s pie was born, which is called in Greece vassilopita. Today in Greece they put inside a coin and whoever gets it is his or her piece, then gets a price or even just good fortune for the entire year.From the notes of Dr. Nick Stergiou
