Contesting funeral ceremony by ZPOZ Hnúšťa (source: TASR)
THE TEAM of the Body for Citizens’ Affairs (ZPOZ) from the municipality of Revúca in central Slovakia won the area show of funeral ceremonies in Hnúšťa and advanced to the regional show contest in Banská Bystrica. Local administrations use the ZPOZ for almost all events in towns and municipalities, such as weddings, anniversaries, welcoming newborns among citizens, but also funerals.
“We live in times where there are really many of these sad ceremonies, and that is one of the reasons why we focused on this sphere,” Hnúšťa mayor Michal Bagačka told the TASR newswire. “We saw three funerals by the teams from Revúca, Hnúšťa and Tisovec. The jury assessed the selection of texts, their recital and the musical background, but the most important thing is the atmosphere itself. It is a competition, but the gatherings are also meant … to create the appropriate atmosphere for all occasions that accompany our citizens in their lives,” Bagačka concluded.
The ZPOZ teams have operated in Slovakia since 1953. After 1989 they were seen as communist-era relics. In 1991, the ZPOZ Človek človeku / From Human to Human appeared in Slovakia and became active in new social and communal festivities and ceremonies.
