REGIONAL ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM – PLOVDIV

Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv, The fellowship of the Masters of Folk Artistic Crafts and Regional Chamber of Crafts – Plovdiv are pleased to invite You to the celebration of the Craftsmen’s holiday “St. Spyridon” on December 12th, 2015 (Saturday) at 10.00. In the court of the museum You can see a reenactment of an old craftsmen’s ritual that has been held since the times of the Revival Period.

The Day of St. Spyridon is also known as “Day of the Masters”. St. Spyridon is revered as patron of potters, tillers, brick makers, shoemakers, braziers, etc.
Traditionally the Common Craftsmen Association in Plovdiv celebrates on the Day of St. Spyridon. An important part of the Craftsmen’s holiday was the initiatory ritual of the young craftsmen masters. The Craftsmen’s Holiday was celebrated with citywide festivity.
The craftsmen together with their families all dressed festively and lead by the flag of the craftsmen association, the icon of the saint patron and music went in a procession to the church for the solemn liturgy. The entire craftsmen fellowship – masters, kalfas and apprentices lit a large candle in front of the iconostasis. Women carried “Isnafsko pendiharo” (The Blessing of Five Loaves of Bread) for the health of all living masters and they praised them. They also made “kolivo” (boiled sweet wheat) for the living and the dead and they lit candles on it. During the liturgy, “at the time of the Great Entrance” the priest would name all the living and deceased masters.
After the liturgy the craftsmen association went to the place of the ziafet (treat). The procession was accompanied by musicians and numerous citizens. Then the ustabashiya – the oldest and most venerable man summoned the candidates for the title “master”, held a guiding speech to them, engirdled them with a red belt over one shoulder, gifted them with a small toolkit from the craftsmen association and slapped them on the neck with the words: “Become like me!”
In honour of the saint the craftsmen association bought a male scapegoat which was being sacrificed and cooked. Then all the craftsmen and people from the procession sat around a common table. The kurban was apportioned after the liturgy.

The program includes: 

• Festive manifestation from the museum to the cathedral church “St. Mary” – 10,00
• Festive Mass at “St. Mary” church – 11,00
• Initiation to Master Rank (Testerlik) and distribution of master certificates to the new masters at Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv – 12,00
• Official opening of author’s exhibition “Weaving Techniques Resurrected” by the doyen master Stoyna Krastanova – 12,30 

Contacts:
Grozdelina Georgieva, curator of “Crafts” fund – +35932/ 62 63 27; +359878 914 275.