The Committee
- Takes note that Greece has nominated Messosporitissa Festivity (All-holy Mother of God of the Mid-Sowing Season Festivity), Feast of Our Lady at the Ancient Ruins (No. 02101) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
The Feast of Our Lady is an important festivity in Greek Orthodox Christianity that is observed on 21 November. The night before the event, an evensong ceremony takes place in a seventeenth-century chapel that is located within the archaeological site of Eleusis. Believers bring a specially prepared sweet bread, called ‘artos’ (bread), to be blessed and distributed to the participants. They also bring another bread, called ‘prosforo’ (offering), to be shared during the next day’s Holy Communion. Other contributions include wine and olive oil. Blessing the three symbolic staples (wheat, olive oil and wine) and mentioning the names of the people feature predominantly in the ritual. Believers give the priest the names of their loved ones (living or dead), to be mentioned during the evening service. The priest prays for the health and salvation of the people of the community, and for a bountiful harvest. Although the priest is always a man, those who chant the liturgical texts include people of all genders. The related knowledge and skills are transmitted through participation in the festivity from a young age. Cultural and civil society organizations, schools and local authorities also contribute to the transmission of the practice.
- Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.1: The element is the presentation of the Virgin Mary at the temple in a festivity in Greek Orthodox Christianity. The festival takes place in a seventeenth-century chapel that is located within the archaeological site of Eleusis, and highlights the link between intangible and tangible heritage. The practitioners and bearers of the element are men and women, the young and old generations, from all the ethno-cultural groups in Eleusis. The related knowledge and skills are transmitted mainly through participation in the festivity from a young age. Cultural associations and civil society organizations, education institutions and local authorities are contributing to the transmission of the element. The element is an important public expression of cultural memory which promotes collective identity and community cohesion in Eleusis.
R.2: The element strengthens community bonds and encourages its members to reflect on sustainable management of natural resources. The element’s festivities related to the prosperity of communities through the sustainable management of natural resources can be an important source of inspiration for contemporary societies. The element also enhances the social cohesion of the community by providing a common ground for expression for all of the ethno-cultural groups that inhabit Eleusis.
R.3: The community of bearers and the ‘Adrachti’ Folklore Society focus on transmitting the element to young people and on highlighting its significance for the memory and identity of the community. An educational programme for primary school students was implemented in one school during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be expanded to include a programme for secondary schools. The Adrachti Folklore Society has published two books on the element for distribution to the public, in cooperation with older members of the community, the Municipality of Eleusis and the Academy of Athens Hellenic Folklore Research Centre. Community members are planning to produce a publication and a film documentary on the element, and the Adrachti Folklore Society will apply for a government grant to safeguard the element. Finally, the community of bearers, in cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities that manages the archaeological site where the practice takes place, applies restrictions regarding the filming and photography of the ceremony and the visitors to mitigate the effects of increased awareness about the element.
R.4: The community started discussing and planning for the nomination in 2019, but their efforts were halted temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bearers and practitioners worked together to prepare the nomination file and proposed the safeguarding measures to promote the element. Community members and representatives of local institutions discussed the potential risks of promoting the element to a larger domestic and international public. A working group comprising community members, local institutions and NGOs was formed and jointly contributed to the compilation of the nomination file. The working group also curated the visual materials submitted as part of the nomination file. Various letters of consent from the communities and individuals concerned were submitted as part of the nomination processes.
R.5: The element was listed on the National Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece in 2020. The inventory is maintained by the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, National Scientific Committee for the Implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is updated annually with the inscription of new elements, and the updating of elements already inscribed on the inventory is done every ten years. Every year in January, the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports issues a public call to bearer communities to submit proposals for the inscription of new elements. Information on the inventorying process is included in the periodic report submitted by the State Party in 2022.
- Decides to inscribe Messosporitissa Festivity (All-holy Mother of God of the Mid-Sowing Season Festivity), Feast of Our Lady at the Ancient Ruins on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.