Lazarus is a person of the New Testament, a friend and disciple of Christ, who “rose from the dead” announcing the Resurrection of the Lord. The name “Lazarus” is a Hellenized form of the Hebrew Eleazar.
Lazarus, the so-called Righteous and Four-Day, was the brother of Martha and Mary (the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with myrrh a few days before the crucifixion and then sponged them with her hair), with whom he lived in Bethany , near Jerusalem. Christ had been repeatedly hosted in their house, when he passed through the area, heading towards Jerusalem.
According to the New Testament (John 1:1-44), one day Lazarus fell seriously ill and died. His sisters informed Jesus that his friend was seriously ill, but he delayed coming. He told his disciples that his friend had fallen asleep and that he would go to Bethany to wake him up. When he arrived at Bethany with his disciples, Mary complained to him that if he had come in time her brother would not have died. Then, Jesus wept and with a loud voice before the tomb exclaimed: “Lazarus, get out!” and he raised Lazarus four days after his death, causing the admiration of the bystanders and the deadly hatred of his enemies the Pharisees (John 10:45-57).
According to tradition, Lazarus was then 30 years old and lived another 30 years. He became bishop of Kiti in Cyprus and died at the age of 60. In October 890, the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise found the relic of Lazarus in Cyprus and brought it to Constantinople. He placed it in a silver case in the homonymous temple built in the reign. The collection of his remains is celebrated on October 17. The tomb of Lazarus has been indicated in a rock (dimensions 3x3m.) on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
The commemoration of the miracle of the Resurrection of Lazarus is celebrated by the Orthodox Christian Church on the Saturday of the fifth week (“Deaf”) of Great Lent and on March 17. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the event on December 17.
Folklore
Lazarus has inspired the popular imagination. The proverbs are well known:
“With the voice and Lazarus”
“He was made alive again like Lazarus”
“Wax like Lazarus”
In general, the epithet “Lazarus” is figuratively given to people who were hopelessly saved from certain death, to people who were thought lost and suddenly returned, and to people who are depressed or perpetually depressed.
On Lazarus Saturday, in many parts of Greece, housewives knead special loaves, which they give the shape of a man and even a shrouded one, as Lazarus is represented in Byzantine iconography. These breads are called lazaroi, lazaroudia, lazarakia, lazonia, lazarelia, etc.
On the same day, children (mainly girls) go around the houses and sing special carols, the so-called lazarikas.
In some villages of Kozani (Aiani, Krokos, Lefkopigi, Kaisaria, Rodiani, Agia Paraskevi), groups of girls and women, the “Lazarines”, wearing colorful traditional costumes, visit the neighborhoods of their villages and sing Lazaratika songs. Then they gather in the squares of their villages and dance a dance called “Chinchiro”. The custom draws its origin from the ancient “Parthenia” of the Doric cities of the North, while, in the Byzantine years, it was associated with the Resurrection of Lazarus.
In the village of Visit in northern Corfu, the custom of the Lazarus Carols begins at sunset, on the eve of the feast of Lazarus, and lasts until dawn. In the neighborhoods of the village, from house to house, the local choir, as well as a crowd of young and old, sing carols, which recount the whole story of the resurrection of Lazarus and close with warm wishes. To the sound of the carols, the housewives serve local, Lenten snacks and local red wine.
On the day of the feast of Lazarus, in the city of Corfu, from the church of Agios Nikolaos of the Elders and Agios Lazarus, which is celebrating, choral ensembles and with philharmonic accompaniment, sing the Lazarus carols, in various parts of the historic center of the city. At the end, all the choirs meet in the Old Town Hall and all together sing the carols of the day.
In Rhodes on Lazarus Saturday, children go from house to house and sing “Lazarus”. In the old days, on this day, no farmer went to his field to work, because they believed that everything they caught would wither. It was only allowed to gather dry branches to light the ovens during Holy Week for baking the pretzels.
“Lazarel(s) if you don’t shape(s), you won’t eat bread” says the Mytilene proverb, about the “Lazarelia” special buns in which they give the shape of a shrouded man, exactly as Lazarus is represented in the hagiographies. Raisins were added to the face and hands, signs of the death that Christ defeated with the resurrection of his disciple. For years now, “Lazarelia” are not made by housewives at home, but the custom is observed by the many bakeries of Lesvos!
In Evia villages, little girls, the Lazarakia, cross-tie two pieces of wood. Then they dress them in baby clothes and holding a basket of wild flowers, they go home and say “Lazarus”:
“Wake up Lazarus and do not sleep,
now your day, now your joy,
now that I’m coming to your boss
Your egg cartons are hatching
and your assholes don’t care
dosti us and ours na haroumi.
Dom’ my master a little water,
they call my chlakia bitter medicine”.
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