Ritual Reflections and Transformation of Traditions – Following the Example of Kalogeros Custom, Meliki Village, Greece

Abstract

The article presents the Kalogeros custom performed on the first Monday of Lent in the village of Meliki, Greece. The focus of the research interest is the tracing and analysis of the changes in the customary ritual system, which are refracted through the social, historical and cultural transformations that occurred both in the specific settlement community and in the wider Balkan context. The authors focus on the factors influencing the change of some elements of the ritual, while paying attention to the reasons for the preservation of other elements, which are characterized by considerable authenticity and conservatism. The empirical basis of the study includes observations carried out in 2023 and 2024, as well as semi-structured interviews with various representatives of the community. From the point of view of the analysis and the results, it is important to clarify that some of the bearers of the culture and direct participants in the ritual are descendants of immigrants from the region of the village of Kosti, Strandzha, who finally settled in the village of Meliki in 1940. In the local group these descendants are known as “Kostianids”. This ritualism is an interesting example of the persistence of traditional realities despite the changed ecological, cultural and historical environment.