The document describes traditions and holidays from several European countries that are part of the Comenius Project, including: - In Bulgaria, the spring fertility ritual of Lazarovden where young girls called "lazarki" sing and dance from house to house. - In Poland, the traditions of All Souls' Day where people decorate graves with flowers and light candles in memory of the dead. - In Greece, Carnival celebrations include parades with masked groups and the burning of an effigy of King Carnival. - In Italy and Romania, the tradition of decorating Christmas trees with foods, candles, and other ornaments that represent religious figures. - In Portugal, small scenery

1. Comenius Project:
Something from nothing
Handcrafts about traditions and holidays
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey,
Romania and Spain

2. THE HUNGARIAN COCKADE
 The red-white-green tricolor was first noted on a seal from the time of 15th century King
Mátyás, but the combination did not become widely accepted or popular until the
19th century. Only in the light of the events of 1848-49 did they become the official national
colors of Hungary. Red symbolizes strength, white stands for fidelity, and green for hope. It is
said that Petőfi’s wife, Szendrey Júlia, inspired by the French tricolor, was sewing a tricolored
bonnet for herself as he was composing his Nemzeti dal. She also sewed the first Hungarian
cockade and pinned it on her husband’s chest.
 A cockade is a circular badge of the national colors worn, in the case of Hungarians, over the
heart or on the lapel. (The French custom was to wear theirs on their hats.) Correctly made,
the red stripe should be on the inside, since a cockade is to be read outward from the
center. However, already Szendrey Júlia made hers with the green stripe on the inside, and
countless others have followed this mistaken pattern.
 On the night of March 15, 1849, at a performance of Bánk bán, the famous novelist Jókai
Mór restored order in the theater by going onstage and declaring that the red-white-green
badge stood for liberty, equality and fraternity, and that it “should differentiate us from the
mercenary pack of slavery.”
 Today, the flag with the hole in it is worn in remembrance of the events of October 23rd, 1956,
and the cockade is worn to commemorate March 15th, 1848. Whether red-white-green, or
green-white-red, wear it with pride!

4. LAZAROVDEN BULGARIA
 HAPPY ST LAZARUS’ DAY (Chestit Lazarovden): In Bulgaria today it's the day of the
beautiful and joyous spring fertility ritual known as Lazarouvane or Lazaritsa.
 The ritual is carried out by girls who are coming of age. They are called lazarki and
wear full adult costume and special headdresses adorned with flowers or feathers.
They go from house to house dancing and singing special ritual songs for each family
member to bring them the blessings of love, marriage and happiness and to welcome
the return of spring and fertility to the earth. There are special songs for going through
fields and by rivers, and in some areas the lazarki sing in honour of the family’s bees.
The lazarki songs and dances are like magic spells to make the blessings come true.
 In the past it was believed that girls of marriageable age who did not participate in the
ritual were not ready to marry and were liable to be carried off by a dragon. Dragons
are very active at this time of year! In some areas younger lazarki also go round the
houses but with a more limited repertoire.
 Although Lazarovden is nominally a Christian festival, held 8 days before the Orthodox
Easter, the ritual has ancient pagan roots and celebrates youth, the return of spring
and fertile nature. It is a tradition that is still very much alive.
 We wish you good health, happiness, love and fertility/creativity on this St Lazarus
Day!

6. Autumn Wreath on the feast of the dead (All
Souls' Day) POLAND
 All Saints Day, November 1st, traditionally has been associated in Polish
legend with ghosts and wayward souls. In ancient times, when death
entered a peasant's house, all doors and windows were opened at the
moment of passing. Mirrors were turned to the wall so that the soul would
not be captured in the room. The last rite included a funeral banquet. The
vigil lasted until the burial in order to protect the dead soul from evil spirits.
 Later, these pagan customs were Christianized and people were
encouraged to pray and light candles instead of conjuring up spirits. The
candles were to symbolize the eternal light for which the soul yearns .
 Today, All Souls Day is celebrated in a very solemn manner in Poland. On
both days, at twilight, the Polish make pilgrimages to their local cemeteries.
The people decorate the graves with chrysanthemums, asters, and autumn
flowers, they prepare a wreath of flowers and place candles.

8. CARNIVAL MASK IN GREECE
 The Carnival season in Greece is also known as the Apokriés (Greek:
Αποκριές, "saying goodbye to meat"), or the season of the "Opening of
the Triodion", so named after the liturgical book used by the church from
then until the Holy Week. One of the season's high points is Tsiknopempti,
when celebrants enjoy roast beef dinners at taverns or friends' homes; the
ritual is repeated the following Sunday. The following week, the last before
Lent, is called Tyrinē (Greek: Τυρινή, "cheese [week]") because eating meat
is not allowed, but dairy products are. The Great Lent begins on "Clean
Monday", the day after "Cheese Sunday". Throughout the Carnival season,
people disguise themselves as maskarádes ("masqueraders") and engage in
pranks and general revelry.
 Patras holds the largest annual Carnival in Greece; the famous Patras
Carnival is a three-day spectacle replete with concerts, balles masqués,
parading troupes, atreasure hunt and many events for children. The grand
parade of masked troupes and floats is held at noon on Tyrine Sunday, and
culminates in the ceremonial burning of the effigy of King Carnival at the
Patras harbour.

10. CHRISTMAS TREE AND ITS ORNAMENTS ITALY AND ROMANIA
 The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern
Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and
possibly 15th century, in which devout Christians brought decorated
trees into their homes. It acquired popularity
beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century, at first
among the upper classes.
 The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples,
nuts, or other foods. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by
candles which were ultimately replaced by Christmas lights after the
advent of electrification. Today, there are a wide variety of traditional
ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or
star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent
the archangel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.
 The Christmas tree has also been known as the "Yule-tree"

13. MANJERICO FOR CASCATA IN PORTUGAL
 São João do Porto also includes the cult of water.
Water relates to Christ's baptism. Cascatas are a
Porto tradition of the 19th c. The Portuguese word
'cascata' means 'cascade' and indeed 'cascatas' are
representations of sceneries where the element water
is present. St John the Baptist is another mandatory
presence in a 'cascata'. These small sceneries also
include elements as stones, moss, tiny houses and
reconstruction of typical places in Porto and painted
figures representing people, professions and animals.
'Cascatas' are made in every quiet corner, by groups
of people.

15. SACRIFICE FEAST TURKEY
 The Sacrifice Feast is one of the oldest Islamic holidays in Turkey. It commemorates the story about
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who showed obedience to God by agreeing to sacrifice his son. God
then sent him a ram to be sacrificed instead. The Sacrifice Feast comes about 70 days after the
Ramadan Feast. According to old belief it is unlucky to get married or start a new business in the
period between these two holidays.
 Traditionally, on the first day of the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey, men of each family go to a mosque for
a special morning prayer. Then the sacrifice ritual begins. In some regions in Turkey, people paint
the sacrificial animal with henna and adorn it with ribbons. The butcher reads a prayer before
slaughtering the animal. Families share about two-thirds of the animal’s meat with relatives and
neighbors, and they traditionally give about one-third to the poor.
 In recent years, some Turkish people started making donations to charity organizations instead of
sacrificing animals. Many people in Turkey take special care to help the poor during the Sacrifice
Feast.
 People usually wear their best clothes during the Sacrifice Feast. They welcome guests to their
homes or visit relatives or friends during the holiday. Many people in Turkey reserve the first day of
the feast for visiting their closest relatives. Young people greet their older relatives and neighbors by
kissing their hand as a sign of respect. Some people in Turkey may use the four-day holiday to go
on a vacation.