Clean Monday · Kathara Deftera

Culture of origin: Christian · Cultural

Holiday sources: Eastern Orthodox · Eastern Orthodox (new calendar)

Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera in Greek) begins Great Lent. The faithful give up meat, eggs and dairy, many families eat seafood, and a special unleavened bread, lagana, is baked for this day only. People go out into the countryside and fly kites. It is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus.