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Link copied! Temporary exhibition "Christmas Tree in the Land of Silvania - craftsmanship and craft"
Date and time
17 December - 17 December 2024, 18:00 - 20:00
About
We invite you to take part on December 17, 2024, from 6 p.m., in the "Porolissum" Hall of the Culture and Art Center of Sălaj County, at the opening of the exhibition "The Christmas Tree in the Land of Silvania - craftsmanship and craft", a cultural initiative that aims to facilitate knowledge of cultural heritage and that targets the segment of the custom around the winter solstice of decorating the Christmas tree, which was not made randomly, but according to a well-established canon. Through the chosen theme, we aim to familiarize and transmit this custom to the younger generation, who will acquire knowledge about its practice during the demonstration workshops.
The exhibition discourse will generate knowledge and facilitate the young generation's approach to the values and customs of this area by conducting workshops and demonstrations with folk craftsmen, who will present the work stages of this custom of making the Christmas tree. Archaic carols will enhance the proposed cultural picture, in this way the vocal group "Rezul" from the Plopiș locality (coordinators prof. Victor and Mirela Criste) will support an artistic moment.
In order to have a more complex image of this custom, we approached the reconstruction of these trees with the protagonists from different villages, we made videos during the decorating process, for an easier understanding of the custom, but also for the reconstruction of the trees that are found in the exhibition.
The last exhibition segment is intended for those who have transmitted to us their stories about this custom, which will penetrate the collective memory. We extend our warm thanks to them for their hospitality, openness and understanding.
Get to know the stories of the people, the stories of the Christmas trees, the stories of the carols. Stay close!
The trees that will be found in the exhibition:
1. Marca – Doina Zdrite and Florica Gozman-Pop, the Blue Fir Tree;
2. Cosniciu de Jos – Ana Giurcuț, The Bean Tree;
3. Halmășd –Maria Jenica Gal, Maria Roșu, Viorica Moisi and Ana Codeuș, The Bean Tree, The Straw Tree, The Lamp Tree;
4. Drighiu – Victoria Cuc, The Finet Tree;
5. Plopiș – Viorica Cuc, Anuța Moisi and Florița Lupău, The Straw Tree and Viorica Laslău, The Bean Tree;
6. Iaz – Florica Bodea, The Straw Tree;
7. Valcău de Sus – Anuța Crișan and Viroana Cuc, The Bean Tree, The Christmas Tree;
8. Preoteasa – Anuța Opriș and Viorica Peșteleu, The Finet Tree, The Straw Tree;
9. Lazuri – Maria Marușca, The Straw Tree;
10. Ratovei – Florica Gancea, Bean Tree, Straw Tree, Nucaru;
11. Călin Hamlet – Onița Sabou, Straw Tree, Bean Tree;
12. Giurtelecu Șimleului – Maria Chiș and Ileana Roșu, Nucaru;
13. Subcetate – Veronica Ghilea, Floare Fiț and Maria Rad, Straw Tree, Bean Tree, Lamp Tree;
14. Sâg – Floare Borz, Straw Tree, Bean Tree.
“In the run-up to Christmas, these trees were made by women, generally mothers were the ones who taught them to their daughters. The types of trees that I encountered and that the women remembered were: Straw Tree, Bean Tree, Nucaru, Finet Tree and Lamp Tree. The straw tree is made using dry straw, collected from the fields, during the harvest season. Usually, they were prepared in late autumn, so that the trees would be ready for Christmas. It is believed that this custom was done around the winter solstice, which is why they also acquired apotropaic functions: to protect and ward off evil forces from the inhabitants of the house. The decoration of these trees was most often done with colored threads, crepe paper and nuts. Depending on how they were decorated, they acquired other features. Those decorated with strings of white beans were considered to bring prosperity, fertility and abundance. The colored threads and crepe paper brought luck and prosperity. "We created this exhibition to reconstruct this custom, to present another way in which the traditional house was decorated, on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Savior, the custom being prior to today's one of decorating the Christmas tree," said Ligia Alexandra Pop, the curator of the exhibition.
Sălaj County Culture and Art Center, an institution of the Sălaj County Council.
source
The exhibition discourse will generate knowledge and facilitate the young generation's approach to the values and customs of this area by conducting workshops and demonstrations with folk craftsmen, who will present the work stages of this custom of making the Christmas tree. Archaic carols will enhance the proposed cultural picture, in this way the vocal group "Rezul" from the Plopiș locality (coordinators prof. Victor and Mirela Criste) will support an artistic moment.
In order to have a more complex image of this custom, we approached the reconstruction of these trees with the protagonists from different villages, we made videos during the decorating process, for an easier understanding of the custom, but also for the reconstruction of the trees that are found in the exhibition.
The last exhibition segment is intended for those who have transmitted to us their stories about this custom, which will penetrate the collective memory. We extend our warm thanks to them for their hospitality, openness and understanding.
Get to know the stories of the people, the stories of the Christmas trees, the stories of the carols. Stay close!
The trees that will be found in the exhibition:
1. Marca – Doina Zdrite and Florica Gozman-Pop, the Blue Fir Tree;
2. Cosniciu de Jos – Ana Giurcuț, The Bean Tree;
3. Halmășd –Maria Jenica Gal, Maria Roșu, Viorica Moisi and Ana Codeuș, The Bean Tree, The Straw Tree, The Lamp Tree;
4. Drighiu – Victoria Cuc, The Finet Tree;
5. Plopiș – Viorica Cuc, Anuța Moisi and Florița Lupău, The Straw Tree and Viorica Laslău, The Bean Tree;
6. Iaz – Florica Bodea, The Straw Tree;
7. Valcău de Sus – Anuța Crișan and Viroana Cuc, The Bean Tree, The Christmas Tree;
8. Preoteasa – Anuța Opriș and Viorica Peșteleu, The Finet Tree, The Straw Tree;
9. Lazuri – Maria Marușca, The Straw Tree;
10. Ratovei – Florica Gancea, Bean Tree, Straw Tree, Nucaru;
11. Călin Hamlet – Onița Sabou, Straw Tree, Bean Tree;
12. Giurtelecu Șimleului – Maria Chiș and Ileana Roșu, Nucaru;
13. Subcetate – Veronica Ghilea, Floare Fiț and Maria Rad, Straw Tree, Bean Tree, Lamp Tree;
14. Sâg – Floare Borz, Straw Tree, Bean Tree.
“In the run-up to Christmas, these trees were made by women, generally mothers were the ones who taught them to their daughters. The types of trees that I encountered and that the women remembered were: Straw Tree, Bean Tree, Nucaru, Finet Tree and Lamp Tree. The straw tree is made using dry straw, collected from the fields, during the harvest season. Usually, they were prepared in late autumn, so that the trees would be ready for Christmas. It is believed that this custom was done around the winter solstice, which is why they also acquired apotropaic functions: to protect and ward off evil forces from the inhabitants of the house. The decoration of these trees was most often done with colored threads, crepe paper and nuts. Depending on how they were decorated, they acquired other features. Those decorated with strings of white beans were considered to bring prosperity, fertility and abundance. The colored threads and crepe paper brought luck and prosperity. "We created this exhibition to reconstruct this custom, to present another way in which the traditional house was decorated, on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Savior, the custom being prior to today's one of decorating the Christmas tree," said Ligia Alexandra Pop, the curator of the exhibition.
Sălaj County Culture and Art Center, an institution of the Sălaj County Council.
source
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