Kathari Theftera

Greetings,


Today is clean Monday and just the name itself sounds like a holiday I would like. Clean Monday. Hum, for a person who takes too many baths in a day, fanatically washes, dry’s, then irons all clothing and bedding, and wants to brush Miss Peabody‘s teeth…this sound promising. If only Harry would participate in this holiday.


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.

In our village of Stavros, the villagagers gather to dance, eat, , and fly their kites...

Here's some of our Chapel folks...

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.



Some where extremely high..



And some were not...

Foods during the seven weeks of Lent are fixed according to Lenten restrictions. This generally (there are a few exceptions) means no meat or fish (nothing with red blood) and nothing derived from animals with red blood (no milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, etc.).

The consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, and the widespread custom of flying kites. 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. This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, mollusks, fish roe etc).

**So this explains why we were seeing aquatic animals in the parade. **

Blessings to those flying high,

Kristie