January 16, 2026

Athens News

News in English from Greece


March 3 in Greece celebrate the holiday “Pure Monday”. This The first day of the forty -day Great Lent before Easter. In Greece, this day is called “Defter Kafara” is a pure Monday, This day is (unofficial) weekend in Greece.

Having asked the on the eve of forgiveness from the Lord and close to his sins and released, in turn, the accumulated grievances, the Orthodox Greeks with a pure heart begins a great post, the first day of which is the first day Pure Monday. On this day, it is customary to wish a “good fourteenth” – that is, the period remaining before Easter. The name “Fences” indicates the number of “forty”, but in fact the time period between the pure Monday and Easter in the Orthodox denomination is 48 days.

In some areas of Greece are still alive Semi -language customsaccepted on Pure Monday: So, unmarried girls, in order to see their narrowed in a dream, eat the salty bagels of Kuluri that day, not washing them with water, so that the future groom comes in a dream and has his thirsty bride.

Other existing customs are less extravagant and more consonant with the word “pure”: the housewives on this day should abuse all the copper dishes and, first of all, clean it from meat fat accumulated over the weeks of the holidays. This cleaning carries an important connotation: with meat for the next 48 days, the very spirit of meat, and with it, and carnival ramps, is expelled from the houses.

The latest generations were introduced into the celebration Pure Monday The next wonderful tradition: a lean picnic in nature and the launch of an air snake. Since this day is an official weekend, nothing will prevent the whole family from going out of town and enjoy the coming spring. You can make a snake yourself, but you can not suffer and be content with purchased: on the days of the sellers of snakes previous to the holiday, you can meet every two meters. The minimum cost of a flying object is 5 euros. We are advised to run in the hilly area, running away on all sails from the hill – so there is much more chance of flying at the snake!

Football fans are not cheating here! All the next time the sky in pure Monday decorates snakes in the proud colors of the native club! Honestly, to admit, the snakes with the inscription of PAK on such a day are a little confusing, but let's not forget that for the true fan his club is his religion.

On a picnic in Pure Monday In Greece, it is not customary to take Sandvichi and chicken with them. This – The first day of Great LentAnd now the olives, salad, onions, beans, halva and a lean cake called “Lagan” (by the way, very tasty!) will enter the diet. For those who do not hold a strict post, fish taverns are open, ready to save you from thoughts about meat with their delicacies.

The tradition of celebration Pure Monday In Greece, with all their picnics, trips and snakes, shows how much family means a lot for the Greeks, and what pleasure they know how to extract from this word and one extra weekend.



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