Preserving Tradition Through Photography
Years ago I visited Paris and as it happens, I took photos of everything, so I can be able to show the places I've been to at home, to those who didn't have the chance to accompany me. The person I was with told me, I'm like the Chinese (no offense intended here), as they are the ones photographing everything.
It can seem annoying to those who are not into photography or posting on different platform, but they are basically robbing themselves of quite a lot, without even realizing it. Memories can fade away quickly, especially, when you see so much in such a short time. Even with the best intentions, your brain can't store everything and definitely not as you see things, but looking at the photos can refresh your memories pretty quickly.
Today I came across these photos I took in October 2023, at an exhibition hosted in a medieval tower. These venues make the whole experience more exciting and I wish more and more medieval buildings would be used for such purposes. It's not so easy to find a place for the art to be exhibited, but there's always a way.
This was a photo exhibition and I'm not entirely sure, but it's possible the theme was tradition. The photo on display shows how tradition is kept alive, even if it's only on special days. Small villages, small communities are the ones that holding the fort in this regard and it would be a pleasure to participate in such an event once. Looking at those beautiful folk costumes worth it alone.
For some, it could be a disturbing image, but if you have a closer look, it can be quite a nice experience. The church and the graveyard can have a deeper significance in small villages as that's where history is preserved. Add some fog and a lovely orange light and you get a really mysterious photo.
This photo, as amazing and interesting it is, it remains a puzzle for me. I can't decide if it's a photo manipulation (some kind of photoshop work) or it's real. It seems less real as who in their right mind would leave such a small window for such a big animal. From photographic point of view it's an amazing shot though, even if it would be manipulated.
This photo has a significant meaning and if you're not from Transylvania or Hungary, then you'll need some explanation to be able to understand what you see here.
This is an old Easter tradition called locsolás, which means sparkling or watering, but I prefer the first one, even though the latter is what these guys were doing.
Watering (in the case of girls as "watering" is a locsolkodás Central European Easter tradition. According to this custom, from dawn on Easter Monday, the boys water the familiar girls with water, more recently primarily with fragrant cologne or other, more funny ways.
They called it water-shooting Monday, because even fifty years ago, in its widespread form, they sprinkled buckets of water, or threw the girls in the drinking trough, who were in their most beautiful clothes for the noble occasion. Nowadays, this method of watering is primarily cultivated in rural and small-town environments, mainly (but not exclusively) traditional groups.
Nowadays, the more delicate form has spread, when, after the recitation of a watering poem, a fragrant perfume – in the case of teenage or young adult girls – in the case of a floral, soda siphon or the garden slag – the sprinkler boys deserve the painted red, decorated, e.g. embroidered eggs.
As the quote says, nowadays they do it anymore, or there's the modern version, using perfume, but there was a time (brutal times I'd say), when many women died due to this stupid tradition. Easter usually is celebrated in March or April, two cold months and back in those days
meningitis and pneumonia were not treatable diseases.
The photo is amazing, it shows tradition in every sense of the word, but looking at ti from ladies' perspective, it's brutal.
100% tradition, if I can say that. Three young ladies, dressed in traditional folk costumes, looking in, through a hand carved, traditional wooden gate. It must be an honor to wear those valuable dresses. I can't even begin to imagine how much time goes into creating them. It's a fantastic photo in my opinion.
It's good to be different, even at the cost of standing out. It takes courage, but worth it, for sure. I love this photo, how it is framed, respecting the rule of third.
What do you say to an exhibition room like this? Where once soldiers were watching the enemy through those small holes that now serve as windows and were shooting them in order to defend their people. I've been to a few such places and even though each bastion or tower is different, the feeling you experience is the same.
Last, but not least, a photo of modern days, to bring you back to the present. (I hope you won't notice the thing that should not be there.)
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Beautiful post, your photos show how tradition stays alive and how a single image can bring back memories so fast.
The originals are beautiful indeed.
Photos tell stories of our past, memories that never fade and can bring back memories. I personally keep many childhood photos, filled with embarrassing expressions when viewed now. Thank you, my friend, for sharing some memorable photos...
I have a lot of childhood photos myself, but it's not something I often look at 😄
True, but is that a bad thing? Although I used to photograph a lot, in the analogue days, and early digital days, I slowed to almost zero. Two reasons. 1) When memories aren't preserved - or better said: close to the conscious mind - then the memory isn't that important, 2) When making tons of still images - and videos- the experience is different for ourselves, we get less into the moment, into whatever is what we are experiencing, we are somehow more bystanders instead. Last two Friday/'s I got this bystander feeling half the time I was atvery interesting sound/light shows. After the first performance, I decided I wanted to bring content to HIVE, showing what I was experiencing. And then I saw myself filming and clicking at least a quarter of the time. And in between I was thinking of how to make the next video. And annoyed when I just saw something I wanted to have in video. It drew me away from the experience itself.
Am wonder much: Do you experience/feel something similar?
Yes, this is not an isolated thing you experienced. Sometimes, when you want to capture and film everything, you kinda miss the other experience, which is seeing for yourself, spending time in front of whatever you are seeing, missing staring at the show of object and so on. Then you're wondering if you remember the actual, physical thing, or the photo you took as you mostly saw it through the lens.
You need some balance, which comes with time. You need to know how much importance to give to photographing and how much time to spend absorbing what you see with your own eyes. Otherwise the whole thing becomes just work.
I hope it makes sense what I'm saying.
Yes, makes much sense.
My friends know that if they come for a walk with me to a new area, I'm going to be stopping every so often to take photos! You are so right, memory fades, and having it all stored here in Hive certainly is the best place, as it will never get lost!
Your photos are lovely @erikah. I do like the painting of the church and the graveyard, looks mysterious indeed.
It was quite a cruel thing to do to the girls in winter, especially in such a cold region in wintertime!
The I'm not alone with this :)
Yes, that is a brutal tradition and I don't understand why has been kept alive for so long, even at the cost of some lives.
I think a number of us Hivers take photos when we go to new places but it's the best way to store memories.
We agree on that :)
The horse one looks manipulated, look at the horse neck, it's way too thin compared to a normal horse🤔
Now my favorite to pick here are the trees in the grey, simply because you know, I don't like people as subjects of pieces 😄
If I have to pick one on theme tradition, the 3 ladies on the door is the perfect one
The watering... At first it seemed fun, but when you said people died, I found it stupid to keep it going in that times, why harm ladies of the village like this ?
Now that you mention it, yes, I tend to agree with you .
You need to work on that. I'm not saying to look at them ll day, but dude, come on, a person or two here and there it's ok 😆
Perfect pick!
Because that's how things work in small communities. Sometimes the majority is forcing their will on the minority and those who don't have a life, are gossiping and bullying others. Unfortunately, if you live in such a tight community, you have no privacy and you don't live the life you want. Sad truth.
Haha I'm too asocial for that 😂
Well I hope you didn't go through the watering 🙁
What a quirky showroom and I love it!!! It's true, I wish they would use those medieval places for exhibitions, it's a good use that would be given to them. I photograph everything too! Then you don't know where your memory goes....
My favourite, an air of mystery, suspense, tradition, culture, and history. I love it!!!
I didn't know that tradition of wetting women with water... it was dangerous with the cold!
The last picture, captured at just the right moment!
You picked a nice one. I like it too. And yes, stupid traditions like this must just die in my opinion.
I think there was no awareness of what it really caused, and then there were bad consequences.
No, they knew exactly what the consequences are, but some people (men in this case) don't care. They think if this is the tradition, you have to do it, otherwise everyone is going to talk about you. Small minded people, but I should say stupid. Suits better.
Some people still see women as a ... I'd better not even say it, if in many cultures women don't matter. I hope that these practices will stop.
Yup, we see it on Hive too. They think everyone is a man here as they can't even imagine women being here. They need to wake up to reality as it's 2026.
Exactly! It's not as if we were in the cave age!
They are though.
Yes!!! Not all, but there are many
🤗
I've been wanting to visit Paris for a while now. Could you tell me briefly if it's worth it? Or would it be better to visit another part of France?
It depends on what you're looking for or what you're interested in. I went to Paris because I had to meet someone there. Spent a week there and visited all the famous museums, the Eiffel tower, went to Versailles too. But there are so many parts of France that worth visiting, so many!
Thank you 🙏
Pleasure!