Joyous celebrants dancing the night away
Last Sunday I had the great honor to partake in the ancient Thracian celebration of Gynekokratia, or Women’s Day. Around 150 Participants from around the Tri-State area descended on The Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York's Stathakion Center in Astoria, Queens, for the occasion.
Traditionally, on January 8th the married women of Thrace visited the local midwives and made them offerings of soap and vegetables in gratitude for their invaluable services. Out of deep respect and appreciation, the women ritually washed the midwives’ hands. In some villages the women would visit newborns and anoint them with oil and honey.
Also on this day, the traditional roles between men and women were reversed. Women would take care of the town’s affairs and gather in the cafés while the men folk tended the children and did the housework. Any man unlucky enough to be caught outside during the holiday by the celebrants would be ridiculed or beaten with brooms...
Η συνέχεια στο "magnagrece"
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