« Harmanli – culture, traditions and customs »

Bulgaria

Introduction

The project « Harmanli – culture, traditions and customs » protected, preserved and restored the historical, cultural, natural and rural identity of the territory of Harmanli Municipality. A film was shot on the project, which covered the main events included in the cultural calendar of Harmanli Municipality. An LED video wall was purchased and installed on the building of the Community center (Chitalishte) »Druzhba – 1870″, which is located in the central part of the city. 82 pieces of traditional folk costumes were purchased, and a Folk festival “Trakiyska shevitsa”(Thracian embroiderer) and celebrations of Epiphany were organized.

Presentation of the project

The project was implemented on the territory of Municipality of Harmanli.

The overall goal of the project was to create conditions for the development of tourism and the related conservation, preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage on the territory of the LAG Harmanli.

Specific objectives of the project:

– Increasing the tourist attractiveness of the territory by reviving, presenting and popularizing traditions, customs and folk celebrations, performed by living human treasures that represent the local heritage of Municipality of Harmanli;

– Preservation of the historical and cultural identity of the territory of the LAG Harmanli by documenting, reviving, filming and popularizing traditions, customs and celebrations based on the local heritage;

– Motivating, encouraging and supporting the performances of young performers and women from amateur and professional groups in the field of folklore on the territory of the LAG Harmanli;

– Enriching the cultural calendar and stimulating the development of cultural tourism in Harmanli through authentic presentation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage.

The knowledge and skills of the bearers of intangible cultural heritage are passed down from generation to generation. Having survived over the centuries, they reach us and oblige us to take targeted care for their preservation and transmission in the future. Holders of the intangible cultural heritage – dance and singing groups for authentic folklore, culinary arts possess extremely valuable knowledge and skills, which must be protected and conditions for their transmission must be created, and on the other hand be used as a unique resource for the development of cultural tourism .

The project, previously consulted with the local community, fully corresponds to the Strategy for community-led local development of the LAG Harmanli and to the Municipal Development Plan of Harmanli Municipality.

The project was also entirely aimed at young people, who had the opportunity to touch the « living human treasures » defining the historical and cultural identity of Harmanli Municipality.

Through the LED outdoor broadcast screen purchased under the project, an opportunity was given for the year-round presentation of local customs, celebrations, traditions and folklore to residents, guests and tourists of the municipality. To restore and authentically present customs, celebrations, rituals and folklore from the region, 82 traditional folk costumes were purchased.

The most significant local and authentic customs, rituals and folklore from Harmanli and Thrace were presented within the framework of the organized Folk festival “Trakiyska shevitsa”(Thracian embroiderer) and celebrations of Epiphany. The project created benefits for residents of more than one settlement and presented the color of traditions, customs and manners of the entire municipality.

As a result of the implementation of the project, almost 20,000 people from the municipality were given the opportunity to express themselves and access cultural heritage, documenting and preserving the authentic wealth of the region. The film « Harmanli – culture, traditions and customs » produced under the project was presented to the local community, was broadcast on the LED screen installed under the project and is available on the Harmanli Municipality website –

Emblematic character of the project

The project meets the main objective of the Strategy for community-led local development of the LAG Harmanli and the LEADER priorities in the Strategy: Achieving a sustainable and balanced development of the area with diverse employment opportunities and based on effectively developed agrarian, processing and business sectors, as well and rural tourism related to the local cultural and historical heritage and territorial identity, through Priority 4 Building territorial identity, Specific objective 1 – Increasing the attractiveness of the territory and creating an identity.

The project can be implemented by any local initiative group, taking into account the traditions, local culture and customs of the specific LAG, aiming to increase the tourist attractiveness of the territory, through the revival of traditions, crafts, traditional productions and the development of new products through local , folk knowledge and ways based on local heritage and preserving the historical, cultural and natural identity of the territory.

Pictures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqBd3AyaafE&t=5s – връзка към изработения филм „Харманли – култура, традиции и обичаи“