Clean Monday and the kite tradition
Why do we fly kites every Clean Monday? Is there any symbolism, or is it simply a tradition?
If we look back in time, we’ll see that the custom of people making kites and flying them high in the sky is ancient. The first kites were constructed at least 1000 years BCE. Even in Greece, the kite was not unknown. It is mentioned that in the 4th century BCE, the Greek engineer Archytas used the concept of the kite in aerodynamics. There are also depictions on vessels from that era showing a girl holding a type of kite with its string, ready to launch.
In the East, people used kites in magical ceremonies, religious events, and rituals to ward off evil. They believed that the higher the kite flew, the luckier they would be. In Ancient China this was a way to communicate with the divine. In fact, people believed that the higher the kite soared, the more likely it was for the gods to see their wishes hanging from it and grant them! The symbolism of kite-flying in Greek Christian tradition is quite similar to the Chinese.
However, besides its religious dimension, kites had other uses in the past. They were employed for meteorological predictions, military reconnaissance, and even transporting objects to inaccessible areas. Benjamin Franklin, the American inventor, discovered lightning rod using experiments involving a kite and a key!
The material of the earliest kites was wood, but over time, this changed. They began to make them from bamboo and cloth, and later, from paper. They were adorned with designs believed to bring good omens.
In Greece we fly kites, every Καθαρά Δευτέρα (Shrove Monday), which marks the beginning of Lent among Orthodox Christians in Greece. On that day families go on outdoor excursions to beaches and open spaces. If the weather is pleasant, they enjoy picnics. The flight of the Kite symbolizes the Resurrection of the soul which is celebrated at the end of the Great Lent, on Easter.
Written by Giannis Psarianos
