Just before spring arrives, Greek families flock to the countryside and beaches to fly kites and enjoy a traditional picnic with friends. It's clean Monday, the beginning of Lent, a day full of fascinating customs to be enjoyed with the family, sharing tasty traditional dishes and finally spending it in the open air after the long winter.

Have you ever wondered why kites fly on Clean Monday? And what does Kyra Sarakosti, a typical Orthodox Lent biscuit, represent?

With the Καθαρά Δευτέρα the Carnival ends and a long period of fasting begins. This path of preparation to Easter Sunday is rich in meaning and deeply felt, an opportunity for reflection and change.

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.