In Greece, Pure Monday or “kathara deftera” is a special day. A holiday celebrated with family and friends. But where does it come from?
Pure Monday: What is it?
Pure Monday marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent. The Christians called it this, to designate the start of fasting, when everyone purified their minds and bodies. The fast lasts 40 days, as long as Christ fasted in the desert.
Pure Monday is celebrated 48 days before the Sunday of the Christian Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Greece, this is the favorite Monday of the year.
To each his own!
The little ones devote themselves to games and, above all, to launching the kite. The mistresses of the houses find the opportunity to prepare the best fasting dishes. They clean and scrub all pots and pans to remove the smell of meat and grease, so as to enter the Lenten season clean.
As for the men, they’re in charge of making the kite, which has to be done by hand.
What do we eat on Clean Monday?
According to Christian traditions, housewives shouldn’t spend too much time in the kitchen. What’s more, snacks must contain no meat or cheese, in keeping with Lent.
They offer shellfish, octopus, tarama, starches, salads, olives, vine leaves stuffed with rice, peas without olive oil. Many Greeks also simply go to taverns to enjoy their delicious mezzés.
The special bread of the day is “lagana“, a bread made without yeast. According to one theory, the Israelites had eaten this special bread when they made the Exodus out of Egypt. Then Jesus Christ blessed the yeast bread.
The Pure Monday kite
The launching of the kite is an indispensable and very popular Greek tradition. This symbolizes the flight of the human soul towards its Creator.
According to custom, kites are launched into the sky on Pur Monday, the day on which the Lenten fast begins, and thus our spiritual and bodily purification. Through this procedure, we try to get closer to God, by flying high into the sky.
Pure Monday: picnic day!
Families go out into nature for picnics. They dance and sing happy songs.
In Athens, as is customary, the hill of Philopappos (also known as the Hill of the Muses) is invaded by small groups whose songs resound everywhere, while the sky is filled with multicolored flying deer.
We’re reminded of the ancient Dionysian feasts celebrated in the fields at the start of spring.
Pure Monday customs
- During Lent, the elderly devoutly observe a fast, honoring the souls of loved ones who have passed away.
- In every region of Greece, events and local festivals take place. In addition to the launching of kites, in some regions people dance the“Gaitanaki“, a dance around a ribboned pole.
- In Chios, the “Trial of Aga” takes place, whose origins date back to the Turkish occupation. Aga, as judge, humorously condemns the spectators.
- In some Corfu villages, a choir of popes, followed by old men, perform a dance.
- In Galaxidi, Phocis, the “flour war” takes place.
And what do we wish each other?
On Pure Monday “Καθαρά Δευτέρα”, the beginning of Lent, people always exchange the same vow:
Good Lent – Καλη Σαρακοστη (Kali Sarakosti)
Article written by Mania F
18/03/2024
