The customs and Greek traditions that exist throughout the year and in all parts of Greece are beautiful to be learned by the younger generations, who will keep them "alive". Kyra Sarakosti is an old custom, like an improvised calendar, which counts the weeks of Great Lent, starting from Clean Monday. This year, you have the opportunity to make it together with your children!

A tradition from the old days...

In some areas, Kyra Sarakosti was made on paper. It was a painting of a woman with a wide skirt, wearing a cross on her head, with crossed hands because she was praying, without a mouth due to fasting, and with seven legs - one for each week of Great Lent.

Starting from Clean Monday, every Saturday that passed, they would cut off one of her legs, so they knew how many weeks were left until Easter. On Holy Saturday, they would cut off her last leg and hide the paper in the bread they baked for the Resurrection night. Whoever found the paper leg in their slice of bread was considered lucky.

In some parts of Greece, Kyra Sarakosti is made with dough, which consists of flour, salt, and water. Of course, it is not eaten! You will see that the recipe has a lot of salt. It is necessary to prevent the dough from spoiling.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water approximately
• 1 cup salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Carnations for decoration

Execution:

• Put the ingredients in a bowl and knead until you get an elastic dough
• Mold the Lady Lent by making the body, the skirt, the face, and her 7 legs
• Decorate it as you wish with the carnations
• Place it in a baking dish with greaseproof paper
• Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 20-30 minutes

A different Kyra Sarakosti

You can create a different colorful Kyra Sarakosti together with your children, using clay! This way they will learn this beautiful tradition in an even more creative way, adding color and imagination.

The following verses have been written for Lady Lent:

Lady Lent

which is an old custom

our grandmothers used to make it

with flour and water

They wore it as an ornament

a cross on their head

but they forgot their mouth

because she fasted for a while

And they counted her days

with her own feet.

They cut one per week

until Easter comes