Treasurer Pappas seeks good luck for Cook County for 2020 with Greek tradition of cutting the Vasilopita

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Cook County Treasurer's Office

Jan 30, 2020, 19:14 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of the Greek Orthodox Church and Consul General of Greece Ekaterina Dimakis today celebrated the New Year with the Greek tradition of cutting the Vasilopita.

"This celebration is a serious yet festive way to welcome the New Year to the County Building," Pappas said.

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Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, center, at a Vasilopita celebration with, from left, Father Chrysanthos Kerkeres of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago; Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx; Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners; His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of the Greek Orthodox Church, and Consul General of Greece Ekaterina Dimakis. The celebration was held Jan. 30, 2020, in the Treasurer’s Office, 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago, Ill.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, center, at a Vasilopita celebration with, from left, Father Chrysanthos Kerkeres of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago; Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx; Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners; His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of the Greek Orthodox Church, and Consul General of Greece Ekaterina Dimakis. The celebration was held Jan. 30, 2020, in the Treasurer’s Office, 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago, Ill.

To celebrate the New Year, Greeks traditionally bake a special "pita," which can be a loaf of bread or a cake in which a coin is hidden. It is called Vasilopita, which means St. Basil's bread.

In the fourth century, when St. Basil the Great was the archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, he gave the poor sweetened bread with gold coins inside. The tradition evolved into an expression of good wishes and a sign of "luck" for the persons whose bread contains a coin. His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael distributed the Vasilopita to see who will have especially good fortune for 2020.

Participating in the celebration were: Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners; State's Attorney Kim Foxx; Commissioner John Daley (11th), and Commissioner Bridget Gainer (10th). They were joined by other elected officials, consuls general, Honorary Cook County Deputy Treasurers and community leaders. The celebration was held in the Treasurer's Office.

SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office

Related Links

http://cookcountytreasurer.com

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