Clean Monday

Clean Monday, also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the 7th Monday before Pascha (Easter).

The consumption of shellfish and mollusks though, is permitted in Greek Orthodox Churches, thus creating the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood, like cuttlefish, octopus and different shellfish, like shrimp and mussels.

The custom of flying kites on Clean Monday is directly linked to the spiritual state of mind of Orthodox Christians: on this day, they start on the path of physical and spiritual purification, through a long fasting period, and rededicate themselves to a more righteous way of living.