Аспекти на локалното културно наследство: къна геджеси в село Топчийско
Aspects of Local Cultural Heritage: Kana Gecesi in the Village of Topchijsko

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine the contemporary dimensions of a traditional ritual called kana gecesi (the night of the kana). It is both, well preserved in its main features but at the same time is considerably altered by the current trends. Nowadays it is the most essential part of the wedding ceremony in the villages of the ethnic Turks in Ruen municipality, inhabited by diverse in their religion and ethnic origin population. I had the opportunity to observe kana gecesi in Topchijsko village. Additional data were collected during ethnographic field researches in the region in the period between 2007 and 2008. The described ritual is the most significant way to represent the cultural identity of the local people. It is perceived as basic element of their cultural heritage and depicts the preserved kinship relations and unity of the village society. The focus of the study is to reveal the variety of influences on this ritual, which are imposed by the modernization trends, on one hand, and the policy of the state, on the other.

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