People in Greece are very fond of traditions. It’s their second nature. A tradition that many await with much anticipation is ‘Kathara Deftera’—Clean Monday/Ash Monday. It’s one of the most important annual feast as it marks the first day of the forty-day Lent period until Easter. The day is celebrated with traditional vegetable and shellfish dishes, a unique bread made on this day, spreads and other fasting delights as people gather for picnics in nature and kite flying!
Kite flying is the highlight of this celebration! It symbolises our soul flying into the sky to be closer to God. In Greece, there is the widespread technique of kite making which is passed down from one generation to another. Precision, patience and time goes into it mastering this art. A sense of pride is seen on the face of the skillful artist when teaching this craft to the younger generations. The greatest gratification for the artist comes when the kite’s first flight is a success in the informal competition that goes on of whose kite will fly the highest—all in good fun! There is beauty in the unique symphony of colours and movement of the kites filling the Greek blue sky!
What our day looks like
We head to our village where a clearing just a few kilometres from our country home makes it the most idyllic spot for the first picnic of the year—lush green hills, wildflowers and favourable winds. Families and friends gather and set up their picnics while children explore nature’s first blooms. Folk greek music is played and a delightful stir of commotion occurs as we help one another to get our kites in the sky. We then lay down our picnic blanket and savour in fasting delicacies of the day—grilled octopus, white beans with herbs, dolmades, vegetable spreads with lagana (bread made on this day) and my most favourite, tahini and honey shaped logs with cacao! The day is mostly spent eating, socialising and kite flying. Many people are particularly fond of this day as it marks the first day of spring and the beginning of more al fresco moments to come!
Should you find yourself in Greece on Clean Monday, don’t miss this outing!
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