Clean Monday is a day that marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Great Lent in the Christian calendar.

Believers want to cleanse their souls physically and spiritually during Clean Monday. This includes actions such as cleaning the house, visiting the church and "cleansing" the body of toxins and the foods of the previous days.

Why "Clean"?

The word "Clean" in the name "Clean Monday" comes from the etymological root of the word "clean," which means pure or clean. This is because Clean Monday marks the beginning of Great Lent in Orthodox Christianity, a 40-day period of fasting and preparation before Easter.

According to tradition, it is a day of cleansing and restoring normalcy after the Carnival period, during which people often enjoy delicious and rich meals, celebrating before the start of the Great Lent fast.

The word "Clean" comes from the Latin "quadragesima," which means "forty," referring to the forty-day fasting period that follows Clean Monday and prepares Christians for Easter. 

Why "Monday"? 

The word "Monday" refers to the day of the week when Clean Monday falls, that is, the Monday that immediately follows Cheese Sunday, the last Sunday of Carnival.

Therefore, Clean Monday is the last day before the beginning of Lent, during which people clean and prepare for the introduction of Lent.

Clean Monday is accompanied by many customs, the most important of which is flying the kite, which in turn has its own symbolism (Why do we fly a kite on Clean Monday?) and many options (5 suggestions for original kites), as well as the Lenten menu where we choose fasting dishes to "cleanse" ourselves from within (Recipes for Clean Monday).

Also, the faithful take advantage of Clean Monday to do a general cleaning of their home, thus preparing for Great Lent and the arrival of Easter.

Overall, what we need to keep in mind is that Clean Monday is a day for devotion and preparation for the arrival of Easter, the most important Christian celebration.