How many colaci are made for the 40-day memorial
Counting by groups, who receives them, what goes on the colac, and what changes when the day falls in a fast.
It's the first question a family asks once the day is settled, and the only honest answer is that there is no number that holds everywhere. Below is how it's worked out in practice, as it's usually asked of us around Iași. Church observance is for the priest holding the service to explain.
Colivă and colaci, prepared by us
Real photos, from recent memorial meals.
Colac, braided and baked to order 
Colaci for a memorial meal 
Colivă, ready for the table
There is no fixed number
Any round figure found online — "you make 12" or "you make 40" — is somebody's custom, not a rule. From one village to the next, sometimes from one family to another, the number differs a lot.
Two people can say it with certainty for your case: the priest holding the service and the oldest members of the family. We bake as many as you ask for.
Counting by groups
The simplest way is to count by groups, not as one total. First the colaci that go to the service, together with the colivă. Then those for the people who helped at the funeral: those who carried, those who dug, those who cooked and served. Finally, the closest relatives.
Count each group, add them up, and you have the number. Done this way, the count leaves nobody out — and at forty days that's exactly what happens most often, because many people come and six weeks have passed since the funeral.
Who receives the colaci
Colaci aren't handed out to everyone at the table. They go to the people who helped at the funeral and to close relatives, and some go to the church, for the service.
Those who don't receive a colac receive a package, if they aren't staying for the meal. They're two different things and are counted separately.
What goes on the colac
In many families a candle is placed on the colac, and sometimes a glass of wine or a plate of colivă. They're given together, the same way packages are.
Here the custom of the house matters more than any list: if the grandparents or the godparents have their own way of preparing them, that's the one to keep.
Colaci when the day falls in a fast
If the memorial falls on a fasting day, lenten dough is asked for — no egg and no milk. Tell us when you order and we make them that way.
Colivă doesn't raise the question: made of wheat, sugar and walnuts, it's lenten anyway and goes on any memorial table.
How to order them from us
We braid and bake them to order, on the morning of the day, along with the rest of the meal. Tell us how many and for whom, and if the number changes a few days beforehand, it's adjusted.
When the memorial meal is prepared by us, colivă and colaci are part of the price per person — they aren't charged separately. The notice is the same as for any meal: at least 10 days ahead.
Frequently asked
What families ask us
How many colaci are made for the 40-day memorial?
There is no fixed number. It's counted by groups: the colaci that go to the service, those for the people who helped at the funeral, and those for close relatives. The final number is settled within the family or with the priest.
Who receives the colaci?
The people who helped at the funeral — carrying, digging, cooking — and close relatives. Some go to the church, for the service. Anyone who doesn't receive a colac and isn't staying for the meal receives a package.
What goes on the colac?
In many families a candle, and sometimes a glass of wine or a plate of colivă. The custom of the house matters more than any list.
Are colaci made lenten?
If the day of the memorial falls in a fast, yes: dough with no egg and no milk. Tell us when you order and we bake them that way.
Are colaci charged separately from the meal?
No. When the meal is prepared by us, colivă and colaci are part of the price per person. You only tell us how many colaci are needed and for whom.
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