Children learn traditional crafts in Čičmany

To make a spoon from linden-tree wood with one’s own hands, to roll pastry and bake gingerbread, or to make various items from clay – that’s what children were learning in the beginning of July in Čičmany, a village in northern Slovakia which is famous for its ornamented houses and folklore. The creative workshops called Na vlastnej koži život našich predkov zažiť (To Experience Our Ancestors’ Lives through One’s Own Skin) were organised by the Čičmany Folklore-Art Association and the Environmentalists from Prievidza civic association.

The events for the children took place among the typical painted wooden houses of the village in the premises of the famous barn of Ondrej Gregor, the owner of wooden houses in the village from the beginning of the last century. Children were taught the traditional skills by ceramicist Rastislav Haronik from Vyšehradné, gingerbread baker Dagmar Záňová from Čičmany, and woodcarver Igor Prilinský from Prievidza. The aim of the project is to revive and protect the rich cultural heritage of the village, Juraj Kodjak, one of the organisers, told the TASR newswire.

Dozens of children were fascinated by the handicraft work. Some of the participants were children from abroad who just happened to be visiting the village with their parents. The participants, of course, were allowed to take their final products with them and they also received certificates, a first kind of “vocational certificate”. They also could taste the traditional goulash cooked by Kodjak in a copper kettle. The atmosphere was completed with a musical performance by Hanka Pauleová, age 9, a violinist and singer from the children’s folklore group Malý Vtáčnik from Prievidza. These creative workshops are organised in Čičmany during the entire summer school holiday but every second Saturday the children can learn different skills.