Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Family and Origin Program
Partners for Local Development
Background
Family and Origin Program starts in December 1997. Its main aims are the following:
- to increase the level of cultural knowledge of the citizens and offer them successful and interesting ways of assimilating the traditions;
- to affirm the methods for transition from ancient traditions towards a modern holiday system.
In order to realize successfully the transition towards a democratic society a change of the way of thinking is needed. That is the reason why the Family and Origin Program focuses its attention on the traditions as a symbol of people`s wisdom and tolerance. Most of the customs are closely related to the religious holidays and rituals and teach the population to respect each other and to keep the traditional spirit alive. The Family and Origin Program is implemented in the framework of the Partners for Local Development Project.
Family and Origin Program starts in December 1997. Its main aims are the following:
- to increase the level of cultural knowledge of the citizens and offer them successful and interesting ways of assimilating the traditions;
- to affirm the methods for transition from ancient traditions towards a modern holiday system.
In order to realize successfully the transition towards a democratic society a change of the way of thinking is needed. That is the reason why the Family and Origin Program focuses its attention on the traditions as a symbol of people`s wisdom and tolerance. Most of the customs are closely related to the religious holidays and rituals and teach the population to respect each other and to keep the traditional spirit alive. The Family and Origin Program is implemented in the framework of the Partners for Local Development Project.
Practice
In December 1997 the program starts its activity with organizing a campaign for gathering reliefs for the children from the children`s homes in the villages of Shiroka Luka and Stoikite. There is also a Christmas Celebration. In the summer of 1998, with the assistance of the Family and Origin Program, a Summer School for Knowing and Researching the Native Regions of the Young People is held. The participants are young people, fifteen - seventeen years of age. Work with the representatives of the young generation is one of the main priorities described in the framework of the Partners for Local Development Project. The Summer School is an activity, which is also part of the project and aims to:
- establish a systematic activity which tries to involve young people in the process of learning more about their native region`s history, traditions, customs and specific features;
- stimulate sustainable interest towards the research activity directed to the preservation of the cultural inheritance and ancient customs;
- create the necessary conditions for practical research activity with the assistance of professional ethnologists;
- cooperate in the organization of initiatives involving young people in the project implementation and giving them chance to improve their research work and concrete results.
During the Summer School the young people are able to see beautiful textiles and folk-style cloths, folklore costumes; to learn folk songs, tales, legends and myths characterizing the various folklore regions. Under the guidance of several university teachers, the students learn to seek and find the magic of the folklore and the traditions, to communicate with old people and search the family roots of their own origin.
In order to restore the old appearance of the existing traditions, the celebration of several holidays specific for the town and the region is reborn:
- Christmas - there is a celebration in the Christmas evening, children are preparing Christmas cards;
- Grandmother`s Day - on this day people give their respect to the maternity nurses and old people;
- Ramazam-Bairiam - a congratulating material is published in the newsletter of the Partners for Local Development project;
- Baba Marta - on 1st of March is celebrated the Bulgarian holiday, connected with the wish for prosperity and health of the people;
- Day of the Slavic writing and literature - there is an official public celebration organized in cooperation with the municipal Education Department;
- Children`s Day - on this day young children organize their own celebration with cultural program. Most of the celebrations are shown on the local cable TVs.
In December 1997 the program starts its activity with organizing a campaign for gathering reliefs for the children from the children`s homes in the villages of Shiroka Luka and Stoikite. There is also a Christmas Celebration. In the summer of 1998, with the assistance of the Family and Origin Program, a Summer School for Knowing and Researching the Native Regions of the Young People is held. The participants are young people, fifteen - seventeen years of age. Work with the representatives of the young generation is one of the main priorities described in the framework of the Partners for Local Development Project. The Summer School is an activity, which is also part of the project and aims to:
- establish a systematic activity which tries to involve young people in the process of learning more about their native region`s history, traditions, customs and specific features;
- stimulate sustainable interest towards the research activity directed to the preservation of the cultural inheritance and ancient customs;
- create the necessary conditions for practical research activity with the assistance of professional ethnologists;
- cooperate in the organization of initiatives involving young people in the project implementation and giving them chance to improve their research work and concrete results.
During the Summer School the young people are able to see beautiful textiles and folk-style cloths, folklore costumes; to learn folk songs, tales, legends and myths characterizing the various folklore regions. Under the guidance of several university teachers, the students learn to seek and find the magic of the folklore and the traditions, to communicate with old people and search the family roots of their own origin.
In order to restore the old appearance of the existing traditions, the celebration of several holidays specific for the town and the region is reborn:
- Christmas - there is a celebration in the Christmas evening, children are preparing Christmas cards;
- Grandmother`s Day - on this day people give their respect to the maternity nurses and old people;
- Ramazam-Bairiam - a congratulating material is published in the newsletter of the Partners for Local Development project;
- Baba Marta - on 1st of March is celebrated the Bulgarian holiday, connected with the wish for prosperity and health of the people;
- Day of the Slavic writing and literature - there is an official public celebration organized in cooperation with the municipal Education Department;
- Children`s Day - on this day young children organize their own celebration with cultural program. Most of the celebrations are shown on the local cable TVs.
Results
Over 3 000 people were directly involved in the process of implementing the activities in the framework of the Family and Origin project. The participants in the Youth Theater Studio - 1999 presented plays from the Bulgarian folklore. In July 1999 there was a questionnaire delivered to all citizens of the town. The results show that the main goals of the program to create an organized activity, as well as to popularize the cultural heritage of the country were successfully achieved.
Over 3 000 people were directly involved in the process of implementing the activities in the framework of the Family and Origin project. The participants in the Youth Theater Studio - 1999 presented plays from the Bulgarian folklore. In July 1999 there was a questionnaire delivered to all citizens of the town. The results show that the main goals of the program to create an organized activity, as well as to popularize the cultural heritage of the country were successfully achieved.
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