This weekend I was blessed to help a family prepare koliva for a father and grandfather. His name was John and he lived to be 103. Please remember him. May his memory be eternal.
It is important for the family to prepare the koliva themselves, and not simply write a check. There really is a healing process in the preparation. During the time we prepped the ingredients (boiled the wheat, toasted the nuts and cleaned the raisins) they shared stories of his generosity, compassion and courage. They had a chance to reflect on his life and I was able to learn about a man I never met.
If you haven't make a large portion of koliva yet, here are the ingredients:
For a Memorial Service your portions will look more like: 5 lbs whole wheat (cooked in 2 large pots) 4 c chopped walnuts, 4 c blanched / slivered almonds, 2 c raisins, 2 c golden raisins, 1 c Italian (flat) parsley, 4 c whole sesame seeds, 2 T cinnamon, 1 T pumpkin spice, 1 T honey, 2 lbs powdered sugar, 1 lb Jordan Almonds.
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| The cross and letters were found in Hobby Lobby and spray painted/decorated. |
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