Momoeria, New Year’s celebrations – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece

Momoeria is a New Year’s celebratory custom that takes place during the Greek-Orthodox “Dodekaemero”(the twelve days between Christmas Day and Epiphany) in eight villages in the Kozani Prefecture (Tetralofos, Agios Dimitrios, Alonakia, Skiti, Protochori, Komnina, Asvestopetra, Karyochori).

It is a traditional performance that incorporates dance, theatrical play and music. The bearers of the element are all the residents of the aforementioned villages, since the custom has been handed down through four generations of Pontian refugees from mountainous Trabzon. All participants are male.

The element was inscribed:

on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece in 2013
on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity- UNESCO in 2016.Certificate of inscription on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Detailed description of the element: Momoeria, New Year’s celebrations

Short film on the element of Tinian Marble Craftsmanship: YouTube