TRADITIONAL VLACH WEDDING ASSOCIATION
Thiva 11/1/2019
PRESS RELEASE
The Vlach Wedding of Thiva in the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Vlach Wedding of Thiva has been registered in the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, and the relevant information has been posted on the internet at: http://ayla.culture.gr/vlahikos-gamos-thivas/.
The Vlach Wedding of Thiva was registered, as mentioned in the National Index, as “a spring recreational, regenerative event which is performed during the period of the Apokria and specifically on Tyrini Sunday and peaks on Clean Monday. It is presented as a satire of a traditional wedding, as a symbolic pastoral wedding, as a wedding ritual consisting of individual ritual acts linked by “order” and rules of sequence between them, and in which in the past only men played all leading and secondary roles”.
The National Index is the listing of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece in the form of an index. It seeks to provide an accurate and up-to-date overview of the intangible cultural heritage of Greece. Through the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece, it is intended to allow the stakeholders of Intangible Cultural Heritage (communities, groups and even individuals) to share their own cultural experience with national and international audiences, to talk about their collective identity, to make recommendations for the study and, above all, for the preservation of their intangible cultural heritage. According to Article 12 of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, each State Party shall draw up one or more inventories of the intangible cultural heritage present in its territory.
For the registration in the National Index, Dr. Andromachi Economou, Principal Researcher of the Hellenic Folklore Research Centre of the Academy of Athens, in collaboration with the Municipality, the Municipal Association of Thiva and the Board of the Traditional Association wrote the special bulletin regarding this custom, which was submitted to the Ministry of Culture. This bulletin includes a description of the custom, the organizers, historical data, indicative photos, core literature, and as annex the songs and dances of the Vlach wedding. Videos, photos and a CD containing all songs sung by the participants with traditional music, produced by the Traditional Vlach Wedding Association of Thiva in 2017, were also submitted.
The entry of the Vlach Wedding of Thiva in the National Index, which was made with the contribution of the Traditional Vlach Wedding Association, is an important step towards the promotion and preservation of this custom and the recognition of the cultural heritage of the city of Thiva.
