Kathara Deftera: Get involved in the festivities as an expat!
Last week we celebrated Kathara Deftera in Greece. The name of the holiday translates directly to Clean Monday and schools and businesses are closed on that day. It is the first day of the Great Lent for Orthodox Christians and even though you might not have a religious connection to it, it is still a great opportunity for everyone to have fun and get immersed in Greek culture.
Fasting is a big part of the celebration so many seafood restaurants offer special menus for the day and they are generally fully booked (we experienced it this year, so make sure you make your reservations weeks in advance). By the way, fasting usually involves not eating meat, eggs, dairy and fish, but you will have plenty of other options including octopus, squid, shrimp and crab cooked in many different ways. Also, many seafood restaurants are built close to a beach so don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy some tasty seafood by the water.
Flying kites is another traditional activity of this day so grab a kite, go to a park or some other open space and you are likely to find many other people attempting to fly their own.
But if you are generally new to the country, make sure you visit a nearby town that organizes "Koulouma" - "Κούλουμα". This is an excellent way to have fun and learn about the traditions of this day without having to make any arrangements yourself. Koulouma is an outdoor celebration of Kathara Deftera and it takes place in a big open area. People fly kites, bands play traditional music and everyone is invited to dance. Also, traditional snacks of the day might be offered for free, along with drinks. Yes, there is alcohol in most Greek celebrations. We joined a koulouma celebration this year and there was halva, taramosalata, dolmades and pickled vegetables. And of course lagana which is the traditional flat bread of the day. We enjoyed the music, the food and watched people try to fly their kites successfully or not. And we also went to a seafood restaurant afterwards :)
So if you are new to Greece, make sure you grab the opportunity to celebrate the next Kathara Deftera. It's going to be a lot of fun! At the end of the youtube video you will find a clip from koulouma this year with its original sound.