Monday, March 7, 2011

Clean Monday

Today it's Clean Monday in Greece. It's the first day of Lent that leads up to Easter, and of course a movable feast.





The term for this day, Clean Monday, refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. The widespread Greek custom of flying a kite on Clean Monday symbolizes the beginning of Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. It is common for children to make kites and fly them especially on this day -well, with a little help from mum and dad...








This day is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus and people often have picnics. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted, and so it is a custom to consume shrimps, calamari, taramasalata (a dip made with fish roe), clams and shells. We also make or buy the traditional lagana, which is a kind of bread (if you speak Greek you can read the recipe there too, but you can see the pictures of it anyway). Other delicacies include tahini halva, revythokeftedes (chick pea balls), tomatokeftedes (tomato balls) and dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice).










 

15 comments:

  1. Interesting post!
    Thanks for featuring my miniature pizza :)

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  2. I didn't know about this celebration, thanks for sharing!

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  3. This is great!
    That kite really put me in the mood for kite flying!
    And the day turned out great for it after all!

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  4. bravo amor!!!! one more great post! Xronia Polla & Kali Sarakosti!!!

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  5. let's fly a kite!!! One of my favorite public holidays! Great post! Thanks kai xronia polla!

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  6. so beautiful post! Well done Demi ;)
    I love the kite btw, all the kinds of kite actually :)))

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  7. Oh, I didn´t know about the flying kite part. Thank you very much for including my baby bodysuit in this excellent post!
    Have a wonderful sunny day and a great picnic!

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  8. Oh thanks for this. I had never heard of it!

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  9. Wonderful post! Loved reading about Greek traditions on Clean Monday!

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  10. I think apple cozies are so cute!
    Hope you have a wonderful week!

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  11. Wonderfull post I never realised that this day can be different :) We have the carnaval for 3 days, in which we can eat , drink and party as much as we want. as of Ash-wednesday catholic people will not eat candy, meat or other treats till easter... but not many people do so anymore nowadays.

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  12. Amor, this is a beautiful and interesting post!

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