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.