On August 27th, we celebrate Saint Fanourios, whose name I call upon whenever I’ve lost or misplaced something.
He is one of my most beloved Saints. His name comes from the Greek word fanerono, meaning “to reveal,” which is why he is known as the one who helps us find what is hidden or lost.
Tradition also speaks of his mother. Though her name was never known, she was said to have lived a sinful life. Out of love for her, Saint Fanourios prayed constantly for her soul. The cake that bears his name, the fanouropita, was dedicated to her memory and is shared among at least seven people.
Numbers carry special meaning in our faith. There are seven holy mysteries: baptism, chrismation, confession, Holy Communion, marriage, ordination, and the anointing of the sick. The fanouropita, too, is made with an odd number of ingredients, usually seven or nine—commonly flour, sugar, oil, orange juice, walnuts or raisins, baking powder, and cinnamon. When the cake is cut, it is often divided into forty pieces, recalling the forty days during which the Church especially prays for the soul of the departed.
On the Saint’s feast day, families bring their fanouropites to church. The priest blesses them and prays that God will show mercy to the soul of Saint Fanourios’ mother. Afterwards, the cake is shared freely, so that all may partake.
In northern Greece, a folk custom says that unmarried women place a piece of the blessed cake under their pillow, hoping to dream of the man they will one day marry.
I remember my dear neighbor, Kyria Elpiniki—may her memory be eternal—telling me about the time she tried this. She dreamed of a donkey, and she used to laugh that she had indeed married one, for her husband was stubborn all his life. In Greek, after all, we still call someone a gaidouri when we mean they are difficult or lazy.
Each year, I bake this cake with love. For me, it is not only about finding what I’ve lost but also about asking Saint Fanourios to guide my steps, to bring light and blessing to the lives of those I love.
If you’d like to try making your own, here is Nana Savvatianou’s Fanouropita recipe on Cook Eat Up (in Greek).