Sixteen Greek traditions, ranging from Lenten events to tobacco processing and site-specific cultivation techniques, have been approved for inclusion in the national list of intangible cultural heritage, as part of UNESCO’s efforts to record the practices and find ways to pass them on to new generations, reports the ANA.
The 16 applications were approved by the Ministry of Culture at the beginning of the month and include diverse and often little-known practices. A selection follows:
– Janissaries and Balls, a pre-Lent tradition from Naoussa, featuring a woman’s fake courtship – all performed by men dressed up and dancing through the town to bring a good and prosperous year.
– Mesosporitissa tradition, a special service on November 20 in honor of the Virgin Mary (one day before the feast of the Presentation at the Temple) in a small church in Elefsina, followed by the distribution of semi-sweet bread and of a porridge of seeds, recalling the Mysteries organized in the same area of the archaeological site of ancient Eleusis.
– The use of a network of traditional windmills in the Lassithi plain in Crete, a very efficient way of pumping water for wasteless cultivation, today preserved as a landmark.
– Lefkadian knives, made on the Ionian island of Lefkas with techniques taught by the Venetian occupants (1684-1789); a tradition which is currently being revived.
– Agia Agathi Festival, in Etoliko, which lasts 5 days and nights and recreates the time of the Greek Revolution of 1821. On August 23, men dressed as fighters parade with their horses before everyone ends up dancing on Roma musicians all night.
– “Stafnokari” fishing, also in Etoliko. A traditional shallow water boat uses an umbrella-shaped construction with a net for fishing in the nearby lake. The tradition is also an example of sustainable fishing across generations.
– The cultivation and processing of oriental tobacco strands in Macedonia and Thrace, an important activity in the region which brought prosperity to the region and gave rise to prosperous urban centers.
– The ceramic tradition of the Kourdzis family of Agiassos in Lesvos, which dates back to 1820. In almost 200 years and 6 generations, the family has seen at least 40 artisans specializing in the production and decoration of pottery.
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Photo source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Mouagip
