Holiday in Black & White

MMM (my mini-manifesto): Why I chose not to use colors? Maybe because colors can distract sometimes attention from essence (In this non-chromatic space, try to identify Holiday elements and spectacle ones), can reduce  the beauty of imagination and creativity by self sufficiency (I challenge you to create and recreate the chromatic composition of every scene), can produce stereotypes and labels (Red is the specific color of a certain ethnic group costume; Dark-skinned are Gypsies etc.). 

B&W don't lie, B&W freeze time, B&W augment details that colors blur.

Synopsis: On 14th October (Pokrova or Holy Virgin Protection Holiday on Old Style Calendar) is the dedication day (hram) in the Starovery/Russian-Lippovan community from Jurilovca Village (Romania, Dobrogea, Razim Lake micro-zone).

Dedication day is a total celebration, involving the whole community, even people from other localities (as guests).

The traditional food for this event is based on local seasonal resources, and served during a public feast. 

Atmosphere is full of animation and participation (as guests, as hosts, even as observers: I, ethnographers, media, wonder who).

Of course you can see here a fragmented and filtered reality (by me), but you could try to (re)construct yours.

Preparing the fish borsch

 

Preparing the fish borsch

Participant ensembles and groups

Malîș Russian - Lippovan Ensemble 

Sfitilina  Ensemble with a Bulgarian identification from Vișina Village (guests, neighbors)

Juraveli  - a Russian -Lippovan Ensemble from Jurilovca Village

Juraveli  - a Russian -Lippovan Ensemble from Jurilovca Village

Members of community

Mother' s Dear Babies - Day of Grandmother

Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

In some villages, women celebrated Day of Grandmother/Midwife (Ziua babei). The essential element of this celebration is the scenario of ritual gestures that women bring an offering of gratitude to the old woman who helped give birth to children.

At birth of a child, mothers gave to midwife a gift: a dress, soap, a towel. In the Day of Midwife she received round bread, a pie, a chicken, wine, and she cooked three or four dishes.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

And with this occasion, women wear beautiful adornments.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

And finally... the (temporary) answer to a question of every child of the world: who brought me here???

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

 

Mother' s Dear Babies - Wedding at boy’s baptism

 Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

Wedding at boy’s baptism is the most important moment tied to birth at Turks and Tatars from Dobrogea region. The age of boy varies between three and ten years.

A relative of the parents goes from house to house with a doll and announces the date of baptism, and those who receive the invitation hang to the doll: a handkerchief, a geaulâc or çevre with a penny in cse. Then with these textiles they adorn the canopy.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

 

Mother' s Dear Babies - First bath after baptism

 Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

In the water of newborn’s first bath after baptism women put: egg (to be easy), money (to be rich), flowers (to be nice), plume (to dance easily). The money put into the bath water was originally used to make the sign of cross around the child. Finally, water is thrown at the root of a tree by a girl with parents (not orphan), who take the coin.

Only women can participate in this ceremony; the men take place to the baptism meal. Godmother gave to child things of clothing and money, and in turn, she received gifts. All participants in baptism, "put" money for baby.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Good tip: Do not put the crâşma (white cloth in that was wrapped the baby after baptism) on a vine because in the future he will like the wine. Better put it on a book, to be intelligent.

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

 

Mother' s Dear Babies - Baptism at Catholics

 Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

In the Catholic tradition (Italians in Dobrogea, Catholic communities from Tulcea and Sulina) the religious integration of newborn takes place in three stages: Baptism, Chrism and Eucharist.

At Roman Catholics the baptism is done by aspersion. Church recommends to be celebrated the sacrament in the Easter Vigil or Sunday morning, in the first weeks after childbirth. Child is held in the arms by godfather or godmother; the priest put a tray under the chin and the baby is sprinkled with water.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

 

Mother' s Dear Babies - Baptism at Ukrainians

 Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

In the Ukrainian community from Tulcea County, before going to church for baptism, the baby sit on a beautiful pillow, on the doorstep on which were sprinkled sugar and flowers (to be nice and smooth to people). On return, the child was given to mother who was sitting on the bed. Mother received a bitten slice of bread, sprinkled with salt, a cup of water or wine and a little flower. Godparents were gifted with a pair of round breads and bouquets of flowers. Soaking them in water, grandmother sprinkled each compere, saying: Sunday by Sunday you must be in a single work. Young women were also wished: This is the flower, receives it, to have a child and call us at baptism.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

For Ukrainians, as other Orthodox Christians, the main event connected with the customs of birth is Holy Baptism in church. Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which the human, through triple immersion in holy water realized by the priest, in the name of the Holy Trinity, obtains forgiveness of original sin; he is born again spiritually and became a member of the Church of Christ. Baptism is called and the ''door of mysteries'', because only through baptism we become children of God by gift, and we can receive the other Sacraments. Baptism is founded by the Savior in these words: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…" (Matthew 28, 19).

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Mother' s Dear Babies - Baptism at Russian-Lippovans

Versiune în Limba Română AICI. 

Russian - Lippovans (Starovery) protected the baby from evil spirits baptizing him almost immediately after birth. At eight days godmother took the child and went to church with a small suite.

Baptism is officiating in the morning, before the religious service, at five o'clock, when the priest not eaten yet.

An important moment in the ceremony is the bounding of the child with a belt (pois). It is considered the insignia of Christianization, establishing the connection between body and soul.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Detail from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Mother' s Dear Babies - Visit of women at Aromanians

 Versiune în Limba Română AICI.

A special event with an immense joy in the Aromanian family was and is the birth of a boy, a future shepherd (picurar). It considers that the boy is the one who carry on the name of the family. At Aromanians exists the custom that the person who brings the news (sîhîrichea) is honored (miscut) by ​​relatives. When sîhîrichea announces the birth of a boy is obviously better rewarded. Today the news usually is brought by children who compete to be best rewarded. After a few days of birth, relatives (only women) come to congratulate the mother and child, and those who live in the house, bringing their different gifts (are said to go cu tigănile – with donuts). To protect mother and child, the bed is surrounded with a red thread. The baptism in church could take place and at three years depending on the material possibilities of family or godparents.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Mother' s Dear Babies - Fates

Versiunea în Limba Română AICI.

It is believed that in the third night after birth come the Fates. The biggest is Fate, which spins the thread of life; the middle is Destiny, who tells the adventures of newborn; the third is Death, who cuts the thread of life. 

Table for Fates was placed in front of the window, for feasting the Fates.  In that night they consult witch gift will endow the child. Around the table are three chairs to rest the fairies that spun the thread of life, to placate them.  

On the table people put water or wine, bread or round breads, the cake of Fates (unleavened bread with a little salt on it), and flour, grains, three coins, sugar, honey, garlic, salt, a bundle of wool, scissors, pliers, hammer, beads, candle.

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Sequence from the temporary exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies  (Ethnographic and Folk Art Museum Tulcea)

Aromanian dances at Researchers' Night

A choreographic suite performed by the Aromanian Folkloric Ensemble Dor from Sarighiol de Deal Village, Dobrogea region, Romania. Spectacle is a contemporaneous way to preserve the costume (even stylized), musical and choreographic repertory (dance steps, gestures, movement chronology etc.). In this act you can see Aromanian circle and semicircle  dances and some objects  used in the time of dance (hlambura - the cross with tricolor and flowers, câmbâloghi - the beads).

Lullaby and maternity

The exhibition Mother' s Dear Babies is a challenge for you to remember what  yours grandparents, great-grandparents, maybe parents did... when this great miracle of the world and of life - birth - put them in the situation. Sure beyond diversity, beyond the idea that we are each unique, and in these moments, when each is the universe and the center of the earth also, this exhibition brings  memories, something, one object, one element that can help you to continue, to knot the thread  of continuity of generations. This exhibition actually wants to be a stop on the oblivion' s way  ...

Just listen this lullaby and you' ll understand the maternity.

The sequences of exhibition  are: the Fates at Romanians, bringing of gifts and the ritual meal at Aromanians, baptism at Russian-Lippovans, Ukrainians and Catholics groups from Tulcea County, first bath after baptism at Greeks, wedding at boy’s baptism at Turks and Tatars, the Day of Midwife.