Day 37: 40-Day Memorial Makaria Lunch During Great Lent - Μακαρία Σαρανταήμερου Κατά τη Διάρκεια της Μεγάλης Σαρακοστής - April 8, 2014

The 40-day memorial for our uncle took place at the St. Kosmas o Aitolos Greek Orthodox Monastery, Bolton, Ontario

It is never easy to attend a 40-day memorial service (mnimosino) for a loved one, but it seems especially difficult during Great Lent.  We were amongst the mourners at a memorial service that fell during Great Lent, and were amazed at how well the arrangements were made to accommodate fasting for everyone.

Typically at a Greek Orthodox mnimosino, fish is served at the luncheon.  During Great Lent, it is essential to find other solutions since the memorial would not have fallen on March 25 or Palm Sunday.  So, what other choices are there for a fish dinner?  We have seen many times that the family will order fish, but there are many people who will ask for the rice and gigantes without any fish in order to maintain their fasts.  Other times, we have been served shrimp, often in a tomato sauce, instead of fish.  That is one good solution.

Another option is to look at the other seafood choices available and edible during Great Lent, including scallops, mussels, oysters -- any shellfish or crustacean.  We attended this memorial lunch with hesitation, knowing that the meal would likely be fish we would not eat.  But, to our surprise, we were served a delightful assortment of Lenten appropriate foods.

What particularly made this past Sunday's 40-day memorial special was sitting with family members, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins, some of whom we see rarely. After joining in prayer for our uncle who had joined the Lord in February, we started our meal.

The hummus that was served for the memorial lunch

First, there was the appetiser plate which included olives, feta cheese, and hummus.  (some of us passed up the feta cheese). The hummus was strongly sesame flavoured, which made it interesting and very flavourful.

Then, the servers placed down salad that had a light balasmic vinegar and oil dressing with mixed field greens.  Light and slightly different, the salad was simple.  It included sliced zucchini and shredded carrots mixed in the field greens which made it interesting, so no cheese was necessary!

The entree was plain boiled basmati rice.  It was served with steamed mixed vegetables -- the same carrots and zucchini that was in the salad, and a variety of seafood in a tomato sauce.  We called it seafood kokkinisto (literally meaning "cooked in a red sauce"), just because we really like kokkinisto.  Whole mussels, scallops, and shrimp created this nice mixture.  It was good to see the mussels in the shell for a little variety.

Then, the servers brought the large bowls of gigantes (baked elephant beans).  These were to be served family style, where everyone take what he or she wants and passes the bowl around to the rest of the table. The gigantes were served cold, which made them different for us since we typically eat them warm. They were delicous, nevertheless.

And, to make sure that every guest had enough food, there was a dessert plate that included several slices of cake with some Lenten koulourakia and paximadia, which were (we asked) purchased through the monastery.  And, in traditional Greek fashion, we were served a fruit plate to share around the table.  We say that this is traditional because eating fruit at the end of a meal is very traditionally Greek.  So, we enjoyed some fruit with our coffee or tea.

We had our drink of Metaxa brandy in honour of the Theio who passed away, and we had our Lenten mnimosino meal.  We have found that every family hosts a memorial luncheon differently, and we are blessed to be part of a family which respects and honours the dearly departed as well as the Great
Fast.  Αιωνία του η μνήμη. May his memory be eternal.

The 40-day memorial for our uncle took place at the St. Kosmas o Aitolos Greek Orthodox Monastery, Bolton, Ontario.

Source of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-JDZB-rHFU