Κυπρή Θ., Πρωτοπαπά Κ. (2007), 270.
"The angels eat stavrokoullouro and also the sick people which are healed by it”
Name - Origin
Stavrokoullouro is a round sesame bread with a cross in the centre. It was one of the lambrokouloura (Easter bread variety). As soon as the dough for Easter bread is made, the first bread to form is stavrokoullouro, a large round bread with a hole in the middle and two strips of dough that form a cross in the centre of the bread (Kypri, Protopapa, 2007 p.269).
It was also called 'bread of May or cross of May', since, although it was prepared during Holy Week, it was stored to be consumed in May (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003 p. 126).
Various spices and aromatics were added to the dough, such as cinnamon, mastic, mahleb and aniseed (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003 p. 126). They used to cut and open the four ends of the cross so as to represent the fingers of Christ. They used to bake it as a rusk and hang it on the wall from the day of Resurrection until the day of Ascension (Michalopoulou - Charalambous, 1998 p. 491).
Functional and symbolic role
Stavrokoullouro was mainly an Easter preparation. Easter preparations would start on Maundy Thursday and stavrokoullouro was the first one to prepare. It would be hung on a wall as a house decoration during the Easter celebrations. In many villages, stavrokoullouro would be stored for 40 days and would be consumed on the day of the Ascension. In the villages of Dialo and Agios Ilias, a red egg would be placed on top of the stavrokoullouro, while in other villages such as Neo Horio Kythreas, 4-5 red eggs were placed on the stavrokoulouro. In many villages, many smaller stavrokoulloura were baked, which would decorate the walls of the house (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003 pp. 124-127). In other places, stavrokoullouro would be stored and consumed on the first of May (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003 p. 144).
Stavrokoullouro was an Easter bread prepared on Maundy Thursday or on Saturday before Easter (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003 pp. 124-127).
On Holy Saturday, at dawn, women would make their various types of sesame bread. Stavrokoullouro woudl be prepared and hung on the wall and stored to be consumed on the first of May. A popular perception was that if one eats stavrokoullouro on the first of May, one will not be bitten by a donkey (Leontiou, 1983 p. 193).
Many Cypriots believed that stavrokoullouro had healing properties, since it was blessed (Kypri, Protopapa, 2003, pp. 124-127). People used to say the following: "the angels eat stavrokoullouro and also the sick people which are healed by it". (Kypri T., Protopapa K., 2007, p. 270.
Additional information and bibliography
A lot of small-sized stavrokoulloura were prepared during those days, which would be offered as gifts to godchildren and other relatives, to those who visit a household and, especially, to those who would walk around the village on Holy Saturday, singing about the Resurrection of Christ (Kypri, Protopapa, 2007 p.270).
Leontiou Nicos (ed.) (1983) Άσσια. Ζωντανές μνήμες βαθιές ρίζες μηνύματα επιστροφής, "Assia" Cultural Association, Nicosia.
Michalopoulou - Charalambous Ch. (1998) Περιστερωνοπηγή. Από την Αρχαιότητα μέχρι το 1974 (Peristeronopighi de l ´antiquité jusqu´ à 1974), Nicosie.
Kypri T., Protopapa K. (2003) Παραδοσιακά ζυμώματα της Κύπρου. Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research XVIII, Nicosia.
Kypri T., Protopapa K. (2007) 'Κυπριακά παραδοσιακά ζυμώματα', στο Φούρνοι και παραδοσιακά ζυμώματα στη Θράκη, το Αιγαίο και την Κύπρο (Project 'Θράκη- Αιγαίο - Κύπρος', Thira 2007), 261-278.
Eleni Christou, Demetra Demetriou
