Sarakosti, signifying 40 days of Great Lent

In Greece & Cyprus we call this 40 day lenten period Sarakosti which is exactly what the word means in Greek – 40 days.

The Great Lent starts on Clean Monday and ends on Holy Saturday, after midnight.

For us, Orthodox Christians this is a time of going to church, fasting from foods that contain red blood meat & poultry and their products (milk, cheese,eggs ) and fish and seafood with backbones. On some days even olive oil and wine are restricted.

In a world where everything is unstable, Great Lent serves as an opportunity to scale everything back in our busy lives, achieve some inner peace and balance, focus on what is truly important and be mindful of what we say to others, what we do, and how we want to be.