Kira Sarakosti is an old Greek Easter tradition represented by a small paper or bread figure of a nun-like woman with seven legs. Each leg represents one week of Lent and the figure was used as a calendar to count down the weeks until Easter. In older times in Greece, one of the legs would be cut off each week starting from Clean Monday until only one leg remained on Holy Saturday. The final leg piece would be hidden in a dried fruit and brought luck to whoever found it. Thus, Kira Sarakosti served as a folkloric representation of Lent that has now mostly disappeared as a custom in Greece.

1. Kira Sarakosti – An Old
Greek Easter Tradition
Kira Sarakosti, is a small figure, a
paper drawing or sometimes baked
of bread dough, which features
something really unusual: a lady
that looks like a nun who has
seven legs and her hands are
folded as if in prayer. Lady Lent’s
seven legs each represent one
week of the fasting period, from
Clean Monday to the Holy Week.
There is a cross on her forehead
representing her religious beliefs
and she has no mouth, indicating
that she can’t eat because she is
fasting.
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5th Primary School of Rhodes
Easter custom
A Greek custom that has almost
been lost is that of Kira
Sarakosti, Lady Lent. This is a
custom associated with the
celebration of Easter that
nowadays has
almost disappeared, while
formerly you could find it
throughout Greece with
different variations, as Kira
Sarakosti was used as a
calendar that counted the weeks
of Lent.

2. Lady Lent was used as a
calendar of Lent all over Greece
in the older days, and each week,
starting on Saturday (after Clean
Monday) Greeks used to cut one
leg off. The last leg was cut on
Holy Saturday. This leg, this
small piece of paper, was folded
well and hid within a dried fig or
walnut (in the region of Chios),
which was placed along with
other fruits. Whoever found it
was considered lucky (gourlis).
In some areas, the seventh leg
was squeezed inside the bread of
Resurrection, and was
considered to bring luck to
whoever found it.
Kira Sarakosti