Psychosavato is a very important in the Greek Orthodox Church to remember and pray for those who have died and entered eternal life. We would like to give the full explanation of Psychosavato (Saturday of the Souls), but in this limited space, that is a challenge. So, we have copied for you the brief lesson from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that is set up to teach children why we pray for the dead and how to make Koliva. We, then, made Koliva to take to church for the Divine Liturgy. Making Koliva is a two to three day process, so you have to start early. Also, it is possibly a dying art form, and we think it is very important for people to know how to make Koliva, and hope that we are helping towards this goal.
We have broken this entry into two parts, because there is so much information to share.
From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America:
"Each year before the beginning of Lent, when we prepare for Pascha, our church has set aside three Saturdays called Psychosavato or “Saturdays of the Souls”. On these Saturdays, the priest offers a special memorial service for all the members of God’s family that have died and are now in Heaven. A Divine Liturgy is held on each of these “Saturdays of the Souls.” For this liturgy, we prepare a piece of paper, make a cross at the top of it and write the names of family members and friends who have died. This paper is given to the priest who will read all the names and pray for these souls during the Liturgy and the memorial service."
We also may prepare Koliva, a plate or tray of boiled wheat that we bring to church for the memorial service. Wheat is used to remind us that when wheat seeds are planted in the ground, even though the seeds do not look alive, they sprout and become a green living plant. In the same way the soul of a person who does not look alive, and is buried, will be given a new and better life in God’s heaven.
For our activity, we will prepare a tray of Koliva. Although we will post this blog entry today (the day after the final Psychosavato - “Saturday of the Souls”), we hope that people will find our experience helpful in the future.
The tray we prepare tonight will be taken into the church on Saturday morning and placed on a table in front of the icon of Jesus that is on the iconostasion - the icon screen. The names you have written on a piece of paper will be given to the priest. Our offering of Koliva, and the names we have brought, will be used by the priest to lead us in our prayers. These are prayers of remembering and love for the people who do not live with us on earth any longer, but who are now living with God in heaven."
Yesterday, we started the process to making Koliva. We soaked the wheat overnight, so that today, we can cook it and get it ready for mixing.
To start, soak the wheat berries in water overnight. We started with 2 cups dried wheat, and after soaking, we measured the quantity, and found the wheat had swollen to 3 1/2 cups.
Boil the wheat on a low boil until it is soft and the berries have opened. They should be soft enough to pinch flat with your fingers. You can taste to decide if they are boiled enough
Half way through the process, you may notice that the water is quite brown. If this happens, drain that water, rinse the wheat, and put fresh water to continue boiling until the wheat berries are soft. Once in a while, depending on the wheat we buy, it is necessary to rinse it two times during the cooking process. Keep the cooking water as clear as you can.
After boiling, we drained the wheat in a colander. It looked like so much, and we measured the wheat again This time we measured 5 cups of wheat. Now, we realize how much water the wheat berries will absorb. And, it is soft and light and tender, so we are ready for the next step.
Drain the water and rinse the wheat very well. Rinse to make sure that any scum from the cooking water is removed and the water runs completely clear.
Now, line a tray of some sort with a flat, non-textured towel. We used a flat, cotton dish towel. This is to lay the wheat on it to help dry the berries. You need the Koliva to dry before mixing it with anything. Otherwise, you will have a pudding!
Now, line a tray of some sort with a flat, non-textured towel. We used a flat, cotton dish towel. This is to lay the wheat on it to help dry the berries. You need the Koliva to dry before mixing it with anything. Otherwise, you will have a pudding!
Pour the wheat berries on the towel lined tray in a single layer or a very shallow layer, and allow this to sit for at least 4 hours. Again, you want the wheat to be as dry as possible before mixing. Many people will allow this to sit and dry overnight, and we found that four hours was the minimum amount of time for adequate drying. If you let the Koliva stay in the colander for an hour before laying it out on the towel or sheet, it will likely dry faster. My mother used a tablecloth with newspapers underneath for a place to lay her Koliva (the newspapers were absorbant). A Theia of mine used a cookie tray with her husband's clean handkerchiefs. We have known others who use a sheet to layout and dry the Koliva. You just have to make sure that the whatever you use for drying on is lint free. You don't want shreds of lint or threads in the Koliva.
In these few hours needed for the Koliva to dry fully, you have an opportunity to write all the names of the deceased in a list to give to the Priest. Tomorrow, we will tell you about assembling and decorating this gift.
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