News — FastingInGreece

 This traditional Greek sesame flatbread (lagana) is baked on the first day of Lent, or, “Clean Monday”.  Lagana is soft, chewy, and irresistibly delicious! “Clean Monday” (Kathara Deftera, in Greek) is the equivalent of “Ash Wednesday” in the Greek Orthodox church as it marks the beginning of the long, fasting period of Lent called “Sarakosti”, or, the period between “Clean Monday” and Orthodox Easter Sunday (Pascha).  Like Ash Wednesday, it marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of a spiritual and physical purification period that comes with a long fasting period. Celebrating “Clean Monday” Even though not everybody can fast for...