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Kollyva

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{{spirituality}}
'''Kollyva''' (Greek: ''' ''Κολλυβα,'' '''kólliva; Serbian: ''' ''кољиво,'' ''' koljivo; Romanian: ''' ''colivă'' '''; Bulgarian: ''' ''коливо,''' '' kolivo) is an offering closely connected with the '''[[Memorial Services]]''' in Church for the benefit of one's departed.
Today's kollyva consists of boiled wheat, usually mixed with pomegranate seeds, and decorated in a platter with a sugar covering, raisins, and perhaps herbs. A [[cross]] is traced on the top, and on its sides are the initials of the departed for whom the memorial is held. The size and decoration of the platter varies according to the time elapsed from the date of death. The fortieth day [[Memorial Services|memorial service]] is the most important which practically no Orthodox neglects to hold for the repose of the soul of their beloved. The Kollyva are distributed to the congregtion after the service, who in return say ''"may God forgive his soul!"''.
==Origins==
Their origin goes back to the time of [[Julian the Apostate]], when in 362 AD he withdrew from the market in Constantinople food-stuffs prescribed for the first day of the [[Great Lent]], [[Clean Monday]], and ordered that they be substituted with ''"polluted sacrificial food"'' in an attempt to force upon the people the [[paganism]] of which he was an ardent supporter. However [[Theodore the Soldier|St. Theodore ]] suggested to Patriarch [[Eudoxius of Antioch|Eudoxios]] that he ordain boiled wheat (already called ''Kollyva'') as a substitute to Lenten food-stuffs taken from the market by emperor Julian. Since then kollyva, having become connected with celebrating the memory of saints, were brought to church and were blessed by the priest during memorial prayers known today as [[Memorial Services]].
==Symbolism==
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