5th Primary School Kavala, Greece March, 2019
Greek Orthodox Lent 5Ï„ 5
The Greek Orthodox Paschal (Easter) season starts with The Great Lent, beginning on a Monday (Clean Monday) seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The Greek Orthodox faith follows a modified Julian calendar to establish the date of Easter each year and Easter must fall after Passover, so it does not always or often coincide with the date of Easter in other faiths.
Fasting Greek Orthodox Lent is a time of fasting, which means abstaining from foods that contain animals with red blood (meats, poultry, game) and products from animals with red blood (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.), and fish and seafood with backbones. Olive oil and wine are also restricted. The number of meals on each day is also limited.
The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the body as well as the spirit in preparation for accepting the Resurrection at Easter, which is the most sacred of all observances in the Greek Orthodox faith.
Spring Cleaning In addition to cleansing the body and spirit, Lent is also a traditional time for spring housecleaning. Houses and walls get new coats of whitewash or paint, and inside, cupboards, closets, and drawers and cleaned and freshened.
Menu and Recipes for Clean Monday Clean Monday is the first day of Lent, and a great celebration filled with customs and traditions. Children make a paper doll called Lady Lent (Kyra Sarakosti) who has no mouth because of fasting, seven legs, representing the number of weeks in Lent. Each week, a leg is removed as we count down to Easter. On Clean Monday, everyone heads out for a day at the beach or in the country, or to their ancestral villages. In villages around Greece, tables are set and stocked with the traditional foods of the day to welcome visiting friends and family.
The first day of Lent is known as Clean Monday. It is called "clean" because it marks the start of the lenten period during which our bodies and spirits are "cleansed" to prepare for accepting the Resurrection. Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece, a day of great celebration and traditions. Families take to the beach or countryside for picnics and kite-flying. Children make "Kyra Sarakosti," (Lady Lent), a paper doll with seven legs to represent the seven weeks of Lent. Every week, a leg is cut off to show how many weeks remain until Easter.
Clean Monday Menu Foods during the seven weeks of Lent are fixed according to lenten restrictions. Clean Monday has its own traditions, and all over Greece, tables will be laid (and restaurants stocked) with dishes that have been customary for generations.
Lagana: A lightly leavened bread eaten only Clean Monday.
Taramosalata: Fish Roe Dip: Tarama (cod or carp roe) is sometimes called "the common man's caviar." Combined with olive oil and bread, it makes one of the tastiest and most famous of all Greek dips.
Fresh Shelled Fava (Broad) Beans: No recipe for this one; the fresh beans are shelled and eaten like nuts, or soaked in water until they expand and soften.
Maroulosalata: Cos (Romaine) Lettuce Salad: Fresh, crisp greens with a light vinegar and oil dressing.
Yigandes Plaki: Baked Bean Casserole: Yigandes are similar to giant dried lima beans, and this oven-to-table casserole combines them with tomatoes, onions, herbs, and spices to create a fabulous dish.
Htapothi sti Skhara: Grilled Octopus: Octopus grilled over an open flame is a classic Greek meze to serve with ouzo and wine, and a favorite on Clean Monday. (For the less adventurous, fried calamari is a delicious alternative.)
Garides: Greek-Style Boiled Shrimp: Boiled shrimp with a delicious oil and lemon sauce.
Halvas: Semolina Pudding: Halvas can be made in many different ways, and this version is made with honey, nuts, raisins, and the tastes of cinnamon and cloves, for a wonderful dessert.
Olives and Fresh Fruit: Complete the table with Greek olives and fresh fruit.