The customs that exist in all the known civilizations are part of what we call Intangible Cultural Heritage, which UNESCO constantly records and reserves very carefully. The Intangible Cultural Heritage is transferred from generation to generation, its constantly reinvented by the communities, interacts with their environment and history and provides them with an identity which defines them.
In the Greek agricultural and pastoral life of the preindustrial society, the uncertainty and fear of men concerning the future, their existence and happiness created a big number of ‘theatrical’ customs, representations, practices and rituals. Customs and practices regarding nature, marriage, death and of course popular faith which except of the rules of formal religion, follows beliefs deeply rooted in the spirit of folk, often inherited from antiquity.
Despite the variety of customs, the workshop will introduce you to a series of the mentioned, aiming to the conclusion that their essential and basic elements are almost the same in all cultures: fire, water, decorative elements and masks, food, language, songs, music, dance…
Our goal is to observe and "walk" on the "circle of life" and on the "circle of time" , which for the traditional men is not an abstract concept unlike in the modern societies, but the same agricultural life that defined their existence.
During the summer, there are a lot of opportunities to follow and "taste" the experience of time and experience traditional customs but also fairs in old agricultural societies of Macedonia.
It's a charming journey as it shows the panhuman need and it lets us experience the deeper spirit of people, who keep honoring those traditions.
