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Clean Monday (Greek: Καθαρα Δευτερα) is the first day of Lent for the Orthodox and
Eastern Catholic Christians and is a public holiday in Greece.
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As it is almost springtime, the weather is usually
pleasant and families enjoy outdoor activities.
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Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is forbidden
to Christians throughout Lent, with fish allowed only on major feast days. So the faithful’s diet becomes primarily
vegetarian. A special flat bread called "lagana" (Greek: λαγανα) and moderate consumption of wine are also allowed.
Lent lasts 40 days and commemorates the time Jesus Christ spent fasting
in the desert before he started his ministry. The counting the days of Lent is an esoteric topic. It differs among Christian sects thus of interest to historians and theologians
alike. The Latin word for Lent is
Quadragesima from the Greek Τεσσαρακοστη,
which means the fortieth day.
In the late middle ages the English word Lent for spring was adopted.
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When Athens became the capital Greece in 1833 its
few inhabitants gathered around the standing columns of the temple of Zeus. A new word for Clean Monday and Lent was introduced in the Greek lexicon that of Koulouma, from
the Greek word Kolones that means columns.
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In recent times, Philopappou Hill has become a
popular destination on Clean Monday. It is because of
its proximity to the Acropolis, its panoramic view of the city and most
important its favorable winds, a necessity for kite flying. The origin of this tradition is likely Asiatic
but pious Christians claim that flying kites allows for sending away our sins
thus preparing us for the forty days of Lent!
