Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa”
The variety of customs reflects the particular character of each small society and composes a larger, colorful, multivalent image, that of culture. Knowledge of our traditions and history shapes our future common course as a community. This is the reason why Katheti supports all those people who strengthen with their actions the local cultural life and keep our cultural heritage alive. One such example is the Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa”.
The objective
The Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa” was founded in 2003 with the main objective of preserving and promoting the area’s cultural heritage. The association’s members research and promote our folk tradition and the local ways and customs, in order to pass this knowledge to the younger generations, as well as to the visitors of the island. Apart from its own events, it has an active presence in the cultural events organized by other entities on Poros, as well as in Troizinia.
The Folk Museum
A very important creation of the association is the Folk Museum of Poros. The museum was inaugurated in July 2007 by Elza Labraki, association’s honorary member and donor. Nowadays, it is housed in the Syggrou building and has been included in the Ministry of Culture’s catalogue of folk museums.
A visit to the museum means a journey into the everyday life of a bygone era. The museum’s collection includes household utensils, agricultural life’s tools, furniture, a loom, handicrafts, costumes, photographs and much more.
The workshops
The workshops organized by the Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa” are also of interest. The participants learn the art of weaving and handicrafts. They record the local ways, customs, songs and fairy tales.
They gather old recipes, taken from our grandmothers’ drawers, and prepare sweets and drinks.
And, of course, folk dance classes are not absent from the workshops. Also, the association’s choir is a means of entertainment and expression, with a significant presence in various events.
The festivals
The association’s activities include concerts, dance and theater performances, as well as painting, photography and old embroideries exhibitions.
The association organizes book presentations and features people of local origin with significant contribution to the area. During Christmas and Easter, charity bazaars take place. Lazarus Saturday (the day before Palm Sunday) is dedicated to the third age, with tea, songs, books and more.
Every summer, the last ten days of July, the Lemon Festival takes place, with many events and homemade products made with care by the members of the association.
And let’s not forget the Festival of Ai Giannis Klidonas, which includes music, dance and a mezze buffet. A fire is lit, over which the locals jump. According to the tradition, the fire has cathartic and healing properties. Also, there is a representation of the custom with the water in the pitcher, which reveals the future to the young girls.
Naya Makri, president of the association, tells us: “We worked with passion and love. In recent years, the pandemic has kept us behind. But the association will continue its work. What I would like for the future of the association is for younger people to take over.”
The participation of “young blood”, combined with the experience of the elders, strengthens the dynamics of any action. But for that to happen, we need to know who does what and why. Thus, Katheti, with a series of articles, features associations and entities that promotes the cultural development of the area. Such examples are the Cultural Action of Troizina, the Cultural Association of Galatas “Friends of Tradition”, the Association of Parents & Friends of People with Disabilities “Agios Kirikos” and the Hatzopouleios Municipal Library of Poros.