3 ms·
The article doesn't mention specifics (even the link to 'other cultures' is fairly thin gruel) but it made me think of a common in a number Eastern Orthodox tra
by pvg 3y ago
The article doesn't mention specifics (even the link to 'other cultures' is fairly thin gruel) but it made me think of a common in a number Eastern Orthodox traditions: boiled and typically sweetened wheat:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliva
- stavros 3y agoOh damn, koliva are amazing. I like varvara even more (it's a kind of sweet soup with raisins and wheat).
- giraffe_lady 3y agoThough obviously related this seems slightly different than what the article is mostly about. They're talking about food that's made as part of a system of care & support for the bereaved. Where koliva much more ritualized: it's blessed as part of the funeral and eaten by everyone present. It's also IIRC a pre-christian greek tradition so it's super interesting and cool how it came to be so widespread. But again not unrelated traditions but having had exposure to both southern US and eastern orthodox cultures they feel very different in meaning.
- pvg 3y agoWhere koliva much more ritualized Not where I'm from and the range of the tradition extends beyond both Greece and the Balkans.
- giraffe_lady 3y agoWhere are you from and how do you eat it? I was actually thinking more of russian and arabic orthodox christians in the US since that's been my main exposure to it.
- zo1 3y agoNot OP. It's more than just ritual in Balkan cultures, it's part of the culture if one can say as much - because the religion is so intwined with normal Balkan culture.
- selimthegrim 3y agoDo Muslims do it too?