lent monday traditions greek

by

The Greek custom of Lady Lent and a lovely Lent Monday

Greek Lent Monday and seafood go hand in hand…

Lent Monday was terrific this year, even though Andy and I spent it quietly on our own, for the first time ever, but we made it special, all the same.

Inevitably, I took time to think back to the old days first thing in the morning. Back then, my parents and grandparents were all still around and Mum would be tethered to the kitchen stove all weekend preparing a feast for the big day. Never seen so many dishes on one single table before, folks, and it only happened on Lent Monday!

Mum also made cheesepies from scratch on the eve of Lent Monday, as this is called Tyrini Sunday and it’s a day to eat cheese, as the name suggests. This is an old tradition from the days when it was practical to use up all the cheese in the pantry as the fasting back then was strict and no cheese would be eaten until Easter. It was a total abstention from all animal products, to be exact.

This year for Tyrini, I honoured my parents’ memory by having cheesepies in the oven and also bean and pasta soup made with my father’s recipe. I will blog this delicious soup soon, by the way, and share it with you here, probably next month.

On Lent Monday we fasted strictly, to honour the tradition.

It was a partly cloudy day, very mild, perfect for a walk on the seafront.

We were delighted to catch the cat you see here on camera as it leapt out from the boat.

Neraki (a small town next to our town of Nea Peramos) was busy at the roadside seafood stalls when we went to buy mussels and clams (cockles).

We took a few better pictures but the people behind the counter asked us nicely not to post their faces.

And I have to honor their request, even though it makes no sense, seeing that every year on Lent Monday a major TV channel gets there from Athens to interview the very same people for the lunchtime tv news LOL!

The cockles went down nicely back home with lashings of lemon juice, the lemons just cut from the tree in our front yard. Lunchtime, the fresh, locally farmed mussels made for the best lunch ever.

It all went down well with the various treats of the day, like dolmadakia (vine leaves stuffed with rice), broad beans in tomato sauce, pickles, lagana (flat bread with sesame seeds), and chalva (semolina cake).

At the end of the day, we felt truly blessed – it was a perfect day. Go here to see all the photos

Hey, I realise this is Easter weekend for most of the Christian world out there, but I’ll say it anyway, for the few Orthodox among you and for those who follow Greek traditions: ‘Kali Sarakosti’, everyone!

Which means, ‘Happy Lent!’

And, if you’d like to try my Greek mussel risoto with ouzo, go here for the recipe!

Lady Lent (Kyra Sarakosti)

Greek Lent started on March 18 this year on Lent Monday and will end on Easter weekend (Orthodox Easter is quite late this year – May 5th!)

I was delighted to discover a very old custom about Lent the other day and I am pleased to share it with you today. I was amazed by the fact I’d never heard of it before in the 5 decades of my life in this country, even though I was born in a family of adults that followed all customs religiously.

The custom of Kyra Sarakosti entailed a picture of her image that would be hung in the house like a calendar.

Lady Lent is depicted with a scarf and a cross on her head (because she attends church), with her hands laced together (because she is praying) without a mouth (because she is fasting), and, most importantly, with seven legs – one for each Lent weekend.

According to custom, Lady Lent is hung on a wall and each Saturday the family cuts off one leg – the first one on the Saturday after Lent Monday and the last one on Holy Saturday.

Housewives in the old days would hide the last paper leg inside a dried fig and serve it to the family with other figs. The person who found it would be considered very lucky. In some parts of Greece, the last paper leg would be put inside the ‘Anastasi’ bread (Ressurection) made for Holy Saturday dinner. Again, luck was said to follow the person who got to find the paper piece in their bread.

In some parts of Greece, Lady Lent would be made with a salty dough instead of paper. It was inedible, but it helped to preserve the dough during those 7 weeks. In other parts of the country, Lady Lent would be made using fabric and feathers.

I found this beautiful photograph on the site workingmoms.gr while looking for a dough recipe for ‘Kyra Sarakosti’ to share with you. Thought you may like to bake it with your kids like some Greek families still do today.

Visit workingmoms.gr and get the quick and easy recipe for the salty dough. Just make sure the kids don’t try to eat it, LOL

To get more ideas on how to make Lady Lent, even with coloured dough, go to this Google images page

Hey, before you go! In my latest newsletter, I am sharing a bunch of FREE kindle books! You’ll also get to read the blurb of my upcoming novel, The Song of Youth. Go here!

 

OOPPAAA! SIGN UP TO MY BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND GET 3 BOOKS FROM ME AS A WELCOME GIFT! SEE BELOW FOR THIS OFFER!

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Fun news from a Greek author and FREE books for all! #ian1 #freebiefriday #Greece Click To Tweet

 

Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

 

Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon

 

Kelly ran a marathon in Nafplio and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with tantalising clean romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Kate has a guardian angel. She just doesn’t know it. Plus, she’s falling for him. Delightful paranormal romance set on the idyllic island of Sifnos. The descriptions of Greek food will make you feel ravenous. Don’t read when hungry. You’ve been warned! OOOPPPPAAAAAA! Get it now on Amazon

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

by

Cheese-eating Sunday and Lent Monday in Greece #Greekculture #healthyliving #healthyfood

“Cheese-eating Sunday” and “Lent Monday” came and went so quickly this year…

And it’s all been a blur of Netflix and yummy homemade food. I say this because I wound up “cocooning” at home for the whole long weekend, since the weather was cold and just yucky. But not to complain, as I said – those excellent Netflix movies, nice meals, and adding wood to the roaring fireplace kept me busy, happy, and warm.

On “Cheese-eating Sunday”, we had this meal photographed here. I guess I honoured my father’s land that day, because the meal consisted of my father’s own organic crop of beans from the island of Limnos where he was born and raised. The cheese pie I accompanied it with was made with the traditional “Kalathaki” cheese of Limnos that is utterly delicious when bought fresh. There is also the dry variety for frying or grating, but I love the fresh one as it’s wonderfully unsalted and makes for the best cheese pie with fresh herbs.

My father ventured to the fields near home and picked organically grown fennel for me to put in the cheese mix. With the greens of fresh onions the mix turned out delicious. I have to admit, though – I cheated! Once again the pastry was shop-bought.

In case you don’t know, “Tyrofagou” (loosely translated as “Cheese-eating Sunday”) is the last Sunday of Carnival in Greece. Tradition dictates the housewives use up the last dairy at home to make pies as the next day, Lent Monday, marks the beginning of the 40-day period of fasting until Orthodox Easter (which, in case you’re wondering, is one week after Catholic Easter again this year, as it often is – on April 24).

This is an old photo of my dad and his granddaughters separating the beans from the husks in the traditional way in Limnos. It’s done by stepping on the husks once they’ve turned really dry and crunchy. A strong wind serves well too to remove the unwanted debris after the husks have been crushed!

My mussel risotto went down very well on Lent Monday. We accompanied it with the traditional lagana (flat bread), beans in tomato sauce, dolmadakia (vine leaves stuffed with rice), and chalva (semolina cake) for dessert.

Mussel risotto is not a traditional Lent Monday meal in Greece, but my husband and I have had it for decades now on Lent Monday, so by now it’s our very own family tradition. Especially as we can buy the mussels fresh, all year round, from the local mussel-farmer families. They sell them at permanent kiosks on the roadside (I live in a small coastal town near Athens).

Now that the “Sarakosti” (40-day fasting period) has started, once again I need to muster all of my self-restraint!

I never fast too strictly, but, like every year, I intend to steer clear of meat altogether. Well, I can try. Problem is, I daily sit down to eat with two men (my husband and my father) who love their meat, so I know I’ll be cooking it! Peg on the nose? Cooking on a full stomach? I am still considering the best way to do it this year. Any ideas? LOL!

Wish me good luck, folks, as the temptation is a tough thing to beat, especially when hubbie ‘has the munchies’ and talks of souvlaki pitta LOL!

Before, I go. If you’re interested in Greek food, you’re welcome to check out on my blog my favourite recipes. Many traditional Greek dishes among them, like gemista, moussaka, fakes, briam, koukia, bourtheto, chicken soup with avgolemono and lots more!

Till next time, keep smiling, and enjoying fabulous books. Go below to check out my latest newsletter and get a load of free kindle books!

In my latest newsletter, I am sharing a bunch of FREE kindle books to suit various tastes and the latest that’s fun from my life in Greece. Cat lovers are especially catered for in my newsletters, more often than not with photos and the latest antics of my two cats. It’s all bound to put a smile on your face! Check it out here: https://madmimi.com/p/06c0a31/preview

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

FREE books, and fun news from a Greek author #authorslife #writers #Greek Click To Tweet

 

Limited time offer! Get the awarded novella, “The Boy on the Bridge” for FREE, along with the short story collection, “Facets of Love” with your sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter. Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

NEW BOOK! Clean romance novella.  Spyri never forgot that old summer in Corfu when she met Markos. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.