Just seven Mondays before Easter arrives, the Greeks celebrate the beginning of fasting season. It is the Great Lent that approaches and this is definitely a reason to be jolly. Clean Monday is one of the Greek national holidays. Since it marks a period of purification, everyone feels the need to go out and enjoy nature. At the same time, a feast of fasting dishes will turn all into vegetarians – or to put it more accurately, pescaritarians!
What Do We Celebrate on Clean Monday?
The Great Lent covers the period between Clean Monday and Easter Sunday. Other names for this significant day include Ash Monday or Monday of Lent. Some people might also refer to it as Green Monday. Cleaning your body and soul is critical, so as to get ready for the Resurrection of Christ. At the same time, housewives are accustomed to cleaning their homes thoroughly.
Do you think that you would love taking part in Clean Monday celebrations? You will find most Greeks outdoors, going on excursions and enjoying delicious treats. At the bakeries, fresh lagana is ready. This is a type of bread that you will only find on Clean Monday. Along with that, most tables include fish roe and fried calamari. Shrimps and other seafood are also popular on this day. And for dessert, what could be better than traditional halva?
Another custom directly linked to Clean Monday is that of flying kites. As many people go on excursions and enjoy nature’s bliss on this day, it is the perfect timing for flying colorful kites. Every kid dreams of that for a long time! And there are bets as to whose kite will fly higher!
After the feast, fasting takes place and most people abstain from such delicacies. Instead, they use Clean Monday as the marking of a period of deprivation. Now is the time to restore your inner balance and prepare yourself for the glorious Easter!