By decision of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, customary events, cultural practices and social rituals from all over Greece, are registered in the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.
Specifically, the Maides of Makrinitsa Pelion are registered, the pasture and the world of the shepherd in Psiloritis, the Historical Cafes, the Night of the Elements in Amfissa, the Arapides of Monastiraki, Drama, the traditional practice of irrigation with the raised fox, Sichnon in Litochoro, Pieria, the Gaitanaki of the Ascension in Etoloakarnania and the Sera Dance of the Pontians.
The Maides of Makrinitsa, Pelion
This is an executive event, characteristic of the traditional communities of the rural area, which was revived on the initiative of the community itself, due to its importance for the collective memory and identity of Makrinitsa. Today, it is an important cultural event for the Municipality of Volos and attracts many visitors. The performance of the event, as an agricultural nature-loving custom, is characterized by a magical-religious dramatized spectacle and mimodrama with different musical purposes and great costume interest. The Maedon event was a timeless source of inspiration for many artists, such as Theofilos and Nikos Christopoulos, to contemporary artists, and even groups of graffiti artists.
The pasture and the world of the shepherd in Psiloritis
It is a set of traditional technical and cultural practices that are directly related to the daily life of shepherds and their survival. It is a combination of elements that compose the livestock activity and ethos in the pastoral communities, with a decisive influence over time on the value system, the economic and social life as well as the cultural character of the mountain communities on the mountain of Ida. Pastoral life in Psiloritis or pastoral life is of particular importance for the institutions and their communities, as, despite the socio-economic transformations, it constitutes a functional code for the preservation of interpersonal and inter-communal relations, with the out-of-court settlement of disputes between inhabitants and avoiding internal social crises, reinforcing a sense of belonging and a community spirit.
The Historic Cafes
Historic Cafes, some of which are more than 100 years old, are a point of reference and places, with special symbolism for the local communities where they operate. Their recording so far includes the Cafe Kipos in Chania, the Cafe Mevlana in Rhodes, the Cafe Hermes and Panhellenic in Mytilene, the Komotini Club in Komotini, the Big Cafe in Tripoli, the Cafe Oraia Hellas in Athens and the Big Cafe in Amis . Historic Cafes have contributed many times to the shaping of cultural practices within the urban space, but also to the shaping of urban sociability, both in the past and today.
The Night of the Elements (The Element of Harmaina)
The representation of the local legend of the Element of Harmaina takes place on the last Saturday of the Carnival, in Amfissa. This new customary practice has been performed for the last 25 years in the city of Amfissa. Through the dramatization of the local legend, the importance attached to the collective memory and the oral tradition in the water is highlighted, as a source of life and a driving force of the tanneries (tabakikon), thanks to which the economy of Amfissa flourished in modern times. The event highlights not only the past of the city (eg the local art of tanning that once flourished), but also the modern cultural identity of Amfissa.
Arapides of Monastiraki, Drama
The performance of the custom of the Arabs is a top cultural event for Monastiraki with special importance for preserving the sense of common origin, history and identity of the community. It is celebrated on the day of the Epiphany with the aim of “the good and the harvest”, while the preservation of the custom is based on the participation of the young people. The “Arapides” are a group of young men disguised in black capes and high pointed masks of goats, bells in the middle and a wooden sword in their hands. Accompanied by the also disguised “Grandparents”, “Giliges”, “Tsoliades” and to the sounds of three-stringed pear-shaped lyres and daireds, they wander around the settlement dancing. The “tseta”, the group in disguise, is composed exclusively of young children and men of the village aged 14 to 40 years.
The traditional practice of irrigation with a raised furrow in Kyriakochori, Fthiotida
This is the hydraulic work with which the irrigation of the crops is carried out from the 18th century until today. The people of Kyriakohori collect the water of the mountainous tributary of Inachos with a dam and with the help of gravity alone channel it into a long aqueduct, store it in large outdoor cisterns and then distribute it with smaller grooves in each garden separately. With this traditional practice they produce valuable agri-food products, strengthening the local community, always with respect for the natural environment. The tradition of the Raised Groove, whose bodies are primarily the seventy households of Kyriakochori, Fthiotida, is associated with perceptions, knowledge and practices that on the one hand are in line with a sustainable way of managing natural resources and on the other hand promote the spirit of solidarity and cooperation. its prosperity. Tradition is passed down from generation to generation, in an experiential way.
The custom of the Sikhs in Litochoro, Pieria
Sichna or “sichnoforia” is a custom that characterizes the celebration of the Epiphany in Litochoro, Pieria (Municipality of Dion-Olympus). These are flags measuring approximately 1.50 x 1.15 meters with bright colors, which have a cross in the center. Many times Sichna is a tribute to guilds and families of sailors, who participate, with a specific formality, in the sanctification of the waters and the celebration of the Lights, in Litochoro. The importance of the custom, which is performed, almost continuously, in the last two centuries, for the local community of Litochoro Pieria is great, while it is a special honor for someone to keep the Sichno, during the ceremony.
The Carousel of the Ascension
This is a customary event that takes place on Easter Monday, in the square of the village of Analipsi (formerly Dervekista), in the Municipality of Thermo, Etoloakarnania. Men, women and children all dance together and sing “Gaitanaki”, without the accompaniment of musical instruments. The event, in which all the residents of the village participate, as well as those who have moved, is an element of strengthening the relations of the community members and strengthening the sense of common origin, especially those who live far from Analipsi.
Serra Dance
Also known as Tromachton, Pyrrichios, Lazikon, the Serra Dance is a very important expression of the collective identity of the Greek Pontians – refugees and immigrants – throughout Greece, as well as around the world. It is danced armed, exclusively by men and imitates battle shapes. It is accompanied musically by the sound of the lyre and the drum, or of the vase and the drum. Particularly important is the public performance of the dance, during the events of Remembrance of the Genocide of Pontian Hellenism. The Serra dance stimulated the morale of the Greek Pontians during the period of persecution and Genocide (1916-1922) and in the first difficult years of their relocation to Greece.
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