This Saturday is Lazarus Saturday! It’s one of my favorite Saturdays of the whole church year. I have so many fond memories of this day from my childhood and while raising my boys.

No one knows exactly where the tradition of baking Lazarakia, or Lazarus Breads, on the Saturday of Lazarus began, but it's been a beloved tradition in Orthodox homes for generations.

Some people may consider the "little t" traditions to be silly or old-fashioned but I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe it's these little traditions that help us teach our children that Orthodoxy is a way of life. It helps them connect to, and remember, the stories we read them from the Bible or lives of the saints, to the every day life happening at home in our little church. This helps them learn to think about their faith not only in church but at home and "every place of Your dominion". Plus, they're fun, tangible ways to show that everything we do in the Orthodox Faith points back to Christ--even the celebrating of His saints.

I remember being a young girl and baking these with my great-grandmother and going door to door with our church's junior choir to sing the kalanta (carols) of St. Lazarus. They're such cherished memories.

While you mix and knead the dough to these little breads, retell your children the rest of the story about St. Lazarus...

The Story of St. Lazarus

We all know the story of St. Lazarus from the Gospel of St. John and how Jesus raised him from the dead after being in the tomb for four days. But what happened after that?

According to Scripture and the tradition of the Cypriot church, Lazarus was compelled to seek refuge away from Jerusalem to avoid the anger of the high priests and the pharisees, who wanted to kill him, ...the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed in Jesus (John 12:10-11). Many Christians too ... were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about. Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch ...; just like Stephen, Lazarus would have had to leave Judea to seek refuge in another country. This location was Kition in Cyprus. 

When Apostle Paul and Apostle Barnabas travelled to Cyprus, they ordained Lazarus as the first Bishop of Kition. This is why all episcopal thrones in Larnaka have the icon of St. Lazarus instead of Christ, which is the standard custom of the church.

Another famous tradition related to Lazarus is the discovery of Mount Athos in 52 AD by the Theotokos. Lazarus was very close to the Virgin Mary and he was very grieved that he could not return to Jerusalem to visit her (he was still in fear of the Jews). The Theotokos learned of his sorrow and sent him a letter to comfort him. She asked that he might send a ship to her that she might visit him in Cyprus. With great joy, Lazarus sent a ship to the Holy Land to bring the Virgin Mary and John, the beloved disciple to Cyprus for a visit. However on their journey, a great storm blew them off course and carried them to the shores of Ephesus and then the ship to the shores of Athos, Greece. Unaware that divine providence had brought her to this area, the Virgin Mary completely taken by the beauty of the area, prayed to her son that this could be her garden devoted to prayer to "fight the good fight of faith". Having converted, blessed and established a new Christian community from the local idolaters they set sail for Cyprus and met with Lazarus. Tomb of Saint Lazarus in Bethany.

Further establishing the apostolic nature of Lazarus' appointment, was the tradition that the bishop's omophorion and epimanikia were presented to Lazarus by the Virgin Mary, who had woven it herself.

Little more is known about Lazarus after Our Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, except that during his thirty years after his resuscitation, he never smiled or joked except on one occasion, recorded in the Synaxarion. One day, he saw someone stealing a clay pot and he smiled saying, "the clay steals the clay".

The first tomb of Lazarus in Bethany remains as a site for pilgrims to this very day. 

The second tomb on the island of Cyprus, was found in Kition sometime in 890 AD, with his relics inside, and bearing the inscription: "Lazarus, the Friend of Christ."

LAZARAKIA RECIPE

For the yeast:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast

• 2 tsp sugar

For the dough:

• 4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp ground clove

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsps ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp mahlepi (optional)

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup water for coating

• whole cloves for the eyes

• powdered sugar, optional

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients from the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine. Set aside for 10-15 minutes for the yeast to proof.

2. In a separate bowl add flour, spices, salt and sugar and mix with a spoon to combine.

3. Add this mixture in the stand mixer bowl along the yeast mixture from step 1. Pour in the olive oil and vegetable oil. Use a dough hook to knead the dough until smooth and not sticky for about 10 minutes.

4. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm area for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.

5. Gently deflate the dough with your hands and separate the dough into as many Lazarakia as you want to have, separating a small ball for each head.

6. Roll the bodies into an oval-like shape and cut into three sections, leaving the top of each oval connected. Braid the three sections and place the smaller ball on top for the head. If it doesn’t seem to “stick” at all, you can dab some water on the dough with your fingers. Add eyes.

7. Dissolve the sugar in the water and brush the top of the breads.

8. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once cooled. Enjoy!!