How To Make Koliva – Remembering Those Who Have Fallen Asleep

Koliva: Picture sourced from Hellenicaworld.com via Pinterest.

This week marked the anniversary of my Yiayia’s death. It has been 6 years since she passed away, yet I remember her like it was yesterday.

I wanted to make Koliva and take it to Church. However I have never made Koliva before and I am not a very good cook…  so this simple traditional offering has become a big challenge for me. I have no idea how to make Koliva and I’m not too sure what to do when I take it to Church.

My yiaya’s memorial date has already passed. I know that it is important to make the Koliva before the memorial date. I understand that I am probably a little late with my preparations however, someone once told me that “it is never too late”. Traditionally Koliva is offered to the Church on the following dates after a loved one has passed:

• 40 days
• 90 days
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 1 year
• Yearly or every 3 years

I haven’t made my Koliva yet. I’m still thinking about it, learning about it, trying to understand it and soon… very soon… I think I will be ready to try it. I believe that learning ‘How to Make Koliva’ is the first step to preparing for spiritual journey. As Pres. Vassi writes in her blog post “preparing Koliva for those who have fallen asleep is more than just following a recipe and combining ingredients”.

To answer some of my challenged/questions, I did a bit of (google) research and this is what I found…