Kathara Deftera–Clean Monday

Greeks love feasts and have one whenever possible and tomorrow ranks among the most important of the year! It is “Kathara- or Kathari- Deftera,” Greek for Clean Monday, commencing the 40-day period of the Great Lent for the Eastern Orthodox Church before the most important holiday for them, Easter (April 24 this year). From tomorrow until Holy Saturday at midnight it will be “Sarakosti” or the 40 day fast. On Clean Monday, the table is filled with vegan dishes (and shellfish & mollusks are allowed because they do not have red blood (but not fish)–but absolutely no meat or any products from animals that have red blood, which also includes eggs and dairy). The pious will keep the fast for the entire period, but most Greeks will definitely fast Holy Week (and celebrate with plenty of lamb on Easter) and many will fast all of next week (the first week of Lent)–they will certainly have many delicious leftovers from Clean Monday. Also, kite flying is a tradition on this day as well!

Culinary Delights of Clean Monday—”Ta Koulouma” 

Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on the major feast day of the Annunciation (or Euangelisomos in Greek) on March 25. The consumption of shellfish and mollusks though, is permitted in Greek Orthodox Churches, thus creating the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood, like cuttlefish, octopus and different shellfish, like shrimp and mussels. 
Taramosalata, a traditional dip made of the salted and cured roe from carp or cod, mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and bread crumbs, called  is one of the dishes served on Clean Monday. It is delicious as a spread on the “lagana,” a special kind of unleavened flatbread, baked only on that day and topped with sesame seeds. Accompanying these dishes are also black-eyed peas or just common baked beans, grape-leaf wrapped rice balls called “dolma” and of course some Greek wine or tsipouro—a type of Greek grappa.
As for dessert, “halva” is served, which is made of tahini, a sesame paste, and sugar, often combined by nuts or chocolate and baked in a square or cylindrical shape and also Politiki Halva (from Asia Minor), which is made of semolina, almonds, syrup and cinnamon. 

Traditions of Clean Monday
Clean Monday, however, is not only associated with eating fasting products, but also many traditions such as kite flying. Young people and adults organize excursions to open areas, so as to fill the skies with their kites. 

Religious significance of Kathera Deftera: The feast begins on the first day of the 7th week before the Orthodox Easter Sunday. Liturgically though, Clean Monday and thus Lent itself begins on the preceding Sunday night, at a special service, in which all present will bow down before one another and ask for forgiveness. In this way, the faithful begin the Great Lent with a clean conscience, forgiveness and renewed Christian love. The day of Clean Monday is sometimes called “Ash Monday,” by analogy to “Ash Wednesday,” the day during which Lent for the Western Christianity begins.
Clean Monday also puts an end to the preceding Carnival celebrations, inviting all Orthodox Christians to leave behind the “sinful” attitudes associated with Carnival festivities and non-fasting foods, which were largely consumed during the three weeks of the Carnival.