1. Mrs Sarakosti
It’s a custom known all over Greece. Grandmother used to draw on paper Mrs
Sarakosti, a lady that had her eyelids down, her mouth was patiently closed and her
hands were crossed on her breast posturing for a prayer. She had seven legs, each
one corresponding to each one of the seven weeks of the fasting period.
Grandmother used to hung this painting below the icon stand (iconostasis). Every
Saturday, each one of her grandchildren, successively, used to cut one of the legs
until only one leg remained, representing the week before Easter. Grandmother
coiled that leg into a small ball and put it inside the bread for Christ’s Resurrection
night. The father cut that bread into slices and used to distribute them to all family
members being present at Easter’s meal. The most joyful one was the person who
found the last Mrs Sarakosti’s leg in his slice of bread.
This custom has been kept in some Greek regions until today and people enjoy it
very much, because it is harmonized with the atmosphere of these days.