Kathari Deftera, or "Clean Monday", is one of the most important holidays in the Greek liturgical calendar and certainly one of our favourites. Growing up in a Catholic country and accustomed to a definitely gloomier and more introspective beginning of Lent, we could not be anything but (pleasantly) surprised by a celebration of reconciliation, regeneration and raising of the spirit characterised instead by outdoor excursions, flights of kites and good shared food.

In autumn, Greece is tinged with olive green, gold and earth tones.

It is in this period that villages and families come together for an important annual event, the olive harvest. An activity that is part of Greek culture, handed down from generation to generation and represents not only a commitment, but also an opportunity to meet and spend time with family, friends and neighbors.

While September forces us to jump between hot and sultry days, lightning and thunderbolts, we say goodbye to the Greek summer with a juicy and colourful prickly pear, a fresh and locally sourced snack.

Have you lost anything lately? Your purse, your glasses, your socks in the washing machine, your temper with your capricious children? Well, you should try baking a Fanouropita! In Greece, Fanouropita is made on August 27th to honour Saint Fanourios, the saint of lost things. His name originates from the Greek word “fanerono”, that is “I reveal”. Therefore, Fanouropita literally means “a cake that reveals”.