Vasilopita or Chronópita

Vasilopita is a traditional cake that is eaten for New Year in Greece and the Balkans. The cake contains a hidden coin or piece of jewelry that is supposed to bring good luck to whoever finds it in their slice of the cake. There are several recipes for vasilopita. Depending on the region in Greece, this cake comes in the form of a cake or bread. The tradition of a coin hidden in the cake continues to this day. Vasilopita is rich in flavor, due to the presence of orange peel and typical ingredients such as mahleb and mastic. It is a very fragrant white cake similar to Savoy or pound cake, and which has the quality of having a fairly dense texture. This cake and associated traditions are also found in the Balkan region, particularly in Ukraine, Serbia, Albania and Bulgaria. It's also known as Chronópita which literally means New Year's pie. What is the origin of vasilopita?