New Year celebrations at SBS with vasilopita (Greek cake) cutting!

SBS staff in Sydney and Melbourne feasted on traditional cakes and pies honouring a centuries' old custom.

Greek New Year celebration at SBS offices in Melbourne and Sydney with 'vasilopita' cake cutting Source: SBS

A delicious custom was honoured today at SBS offices in Melbourne and Sydney to celebrate the New Year.

Staff across various departments of the organisation participated in the events which featured the traditional Greek vasilopita cutting, as well as other traditional cakes and pies.

The celebrations brought together people from all nationalities, religions and cultures, with attendees having the opportunity to learn about the Orthodox custom and taste the treats.

Greek cake 'vasilopita' and other treats. Source: SBS Greek

Among those present at the Sydney event was SBS Director of Audio and Language Content Mandi Wicks who performed the cutting of the vasilopita.

SBS Director of Audio and Language Content Mandi Wicks congratulating the lucky ones in Sydney. Source: SBS

The mouth-watering cake – or sweet bread as some prefer to describe it – is specially prepared each January to welcome another lap around the sun.

Traditionally, hidden inside the cake is a coin wrapped in foil and whoever gets to be served that piece is said to have good fortune secured for the year.

In Sydney, the coins heralding a year of blessing and good luck were found by Selina Kong (Cantonese Program), Katherine Gallo (Digital Projects & Video Lead, Audio & Language Content) and Pema Dolkar (Tibetan Program).

The ‘lucky ones’ in Melbourne were SBS Outreach Producer Ashleigh Butler, Digital Content Producer for SBS Malayalam Salvi Manish and Digital Content Producer for the Greek Program Zoe Thomaidou.

Shot from the Melbourne event with the three staff members who found the coin. Source: SBS