Today is New Year’s Eve. Tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year. Isn’t it amazing? How is it that time just flies by so quickly? Before we know it the summer will be here again, and gone. These holidays are so hectic I can’t really enjoy what’s going on. I’m trying to keep my eyes open rather than cloudy with thoughts and plowing through my days. It’s not easy.
And the to-do list keeps growing. I was able to cross off a couple of things I had been wanting to do, so that was a plus. Can you imagine going to IKEA during a Christmas shopping foray, to pick up some much wanted bookshelves? I can’t believe I did it either. Somehow my car just drove to that store just before Christmas. I bought what I wanted to buy, brought it home, and put it together. I even placed books and decorative items in them. That was an accomplishment! I guess you have to go with the flow when the mood strikes.
Today will be another busy day. I don’t have to worry about tonight because we’re going out with family. But later on today I have baking to do. St. Basil’s Day is January 1 and in the Greek culture we celebrate the New Year and St. Basil at midnight with a sweet bread that is baked with a coin inside called Vasilopeta. We cut the bread for the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, mother Mary and some people cut a slice for the saints. Then each family member gets a slice and we check to see who won the coin for good luck the whole year. So I am baking the breads today and also a batch of sweet, honey dipped biscuit-like cookies with walnuts on top. Another something sweet for the new year. Need those traditions.
As you can see by my photos, my cookbooks, my stand-by’s, are pretty beat up. My mother gave me one book when I was married and it’s seen better days. I don’t bother getting a new one because I figure some day my granddaughter might want to see how I handled it from my own hands, writing and splotches all. This book is kind of like me: basic and traditional, a little unorthodox, a bit thrown together, with a big rubber band for security.
This little paper thingy? This is from the back of a Greek calendar that marks each day. They print recipes, jokes, anecdotes, songs, etc. This is a traditional Greek song we sing for St. Basil, the new year and the first day of the month. We Greeks have a saying for everything from the first day of the month, the first day of the week, before you eat your dinner, when you go on vacation, a name day, a birthday, a wedding, before you give birth, you name it- we have something to say about it. And that’s another post for another day. Now I having some baking to do.
Kali Hronia! Hronia Polla! Happy New Year!
I always love reading your blog and also learning about others’ traditions. How wonderful for you. I used to be Roman Catholic and sometimes miss those traditions, having grown up in parochial school. Today our family is forming our own traditions in our new church. Of course, only our daughter attends. Our son’s family has found another church nearby. Our traditions in the way of food have more or less waned over the years. I hope they pick up again once more. I oftentimes bake bread pudding like my grandma used to do. I never knew her, but my mom gave me the recipe and is happy about it. She passed on down the old stoneware bowl Grandma baked the pudding in. Happy New Year, Dora, to you and your family!
Dear Dora,
Happy New Year~~~!! Did you enjoy the bread? The cook book and Greek traditions are wonderful. (I’m a biiiiig fan of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (have CD!) and my uni friend–a second generation–and I used to chatted over traditions.) Please keep them all. So precious.
Best wishes, Sadami
Therese, thanks for reading and sticking with me! The Christmas season is such a busy holiday and double so this year as I help watch our new granddaughter. Some day she’ll be baking along side me! All the best in the new year to you and your family!
Sadami, Happy New Year to you too! My baking came out fine, even though it took all day and plenty of work. It takes time to keep traditions, but worth it in the end to pass on to the babies!