Greek bakers make record breaking 2,500 kilo Vasilopita for Athens locals

On December 30, Greek bakers gave Greece their well wishes for 2018 by making and offering a record-breaking 2,500 kilo Vasilopita (Greek New Year’s cake) to locals for free.

The 70-metre-long and 3-metre-wide Vasilopita was cut in 15,000 slices at a Platia (centre square) in Athens' suburban municipality of Peristeri and is the largest ever made in Greece, according to organisers.

Over fourty people worked non-stop for three days to prepare the record-breaking, delicious cake, said Panagiotis Sachinidis, President of the Association of Athens' Bakers who took the initiative.

The previous record was held by the same association since 2015, when they had baked and served a Vassilopita weighing 350 kilos.

The municipality of Peristeri hid 200 "lucky coins" inside the cake for good luck. Locals were also given small gifts by the Mayor of Peristeri Andreas Pachatouridis who helped slice the cake. "We are cutting the Vassilopita of the love and solidarity," he said addressing the event.

"This is the message we want to convey, that there should be solidarity among us these difficult days," Sachinidis added, referring to Greece's crisis.

"All people living in Greece these days need a taste of optimism, joy and happiness," Mary Tsiota, deputy mayor of Peristeri, in charge of culture, told media.