"In the Orthodox Christian faith, koliva is an important part of memorial services. This wheat berry-based dish has ancient Greek origins, and its creation symbolizes eternal life. Koliva is prepared both for funerals (often at the 40th day) and anniversaries of death, and is often finished with cross-shaped decorations or topped with lit candles before serving. Specific ingredients in the recipe represent different aspects of life and death."
"For example, the wheat berries are seen as the body of the lost loved one, while warming spices like cinnamon and cloves signify a full, happy life, and sugar is a nod to the sweet welcome of heaven. You'll typically find ingredients like pomegranate seeds, nuts, raisins, and sesame seeds mixed with the spiced wheat berry base. Once everything has been thoroughly combined, the mixture can be spread into a large serving dish and decorated as desired - often with a generous dusting"
Around the world different cultures and religions have distinct mourning traditions that bring friends and family together through rituals and ceremonies. Most funerals include the sharing of food because food brings people together and shared preparation and enjoyment of sweet bakes and savory dishes celebrates the lives of those who have passed. Some cultures use specific foods with religious symbolism while others prefer comforting stews, pies, or easy-to-prep shareable dishes. In the Orthodox Christian tradition koliva is a wheat-berry dish of ancient Greek origin that symbolizes eternal life and is prepared for funerals and death anniversaries, decorated with crosses or candles. Ingredients such as pomegranate, nuts, raisins, sesame, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar convey symbolic meanings and the mixture is spread and decorated, often with powdered sugar and blanched almonds forming a cross.
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