THE LOCAL FESTIVALS AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE CULTURAL EXPRESSION OF THE ROMА AND TURKISH ETHNIC COMMUNITY

Abstract

In recent years, the importance of local festivals as an arena for cultural expression of the representatives of the Roma and Turkish ethnic communities has been growing. As a form of collective celebration, these events have the potential to reproduce forgotten traditions and customs by providing opportunities for the transmission of cultural practices and ideals from one generation to another, creating a bridge between generations (Lee & Arcodia, 2012; Ekman, 1999). According to several authors, some ethnic minorities experience difficulties in expressing their culture in everyday life, which is why their participation during these events is extremely important. The celebratory nature of holidays provides community members with conditions of freedom, connectedness, as their energy makes them feel proud custodians of traditions and customs (Derrett, 2003:51). According to Bakhtin, they are places of hybridization, a powerful mediator of cultural exchange, as they play an essential role in promoting the economic, social and cultural development of the community and the territory in which they take place (Amorim et al., 2019). Stankova and Vasenska (2015) mention the importance of local holidays and/or events to promote the sharing of the cultural identity of the regions, starting from their history and traditions, traditional local dishes and drinks and ending with music and dance as in this process of interaction involves the whole public (organizers, local government, artists, participants and local residents) (Stankova & Vasenska, 2015). Thus, these events contribute to the study of the cultural identity of the community, its ethnic background and local customs (Lee, Lee, & Choi, 2011). The question arises: To what extent can local festivals be seen as an attempt to strengthen the "internal" social and cultural identity of the community by presenting opportunities for communication, for socializing and getting to know the "different"? There are a number of examples, according to which, regardless of the fact that in many settlements, holidays occupy an important place in the daily life of the representatives of the Turkish and Roma communities, there are a number of cases of alienation and division between the representatives of the different ethnic communities during the organization and the conduct of these events. The quantitative and qualitative research carried out within the project "Local Festivals: A Resource of Local Communities to Deal with Crises ", financed by the Fund Research at the Ministry of Education and Science ", financed by the Scientific Research Fund at the Ministry of Education and Culture, will allow to answer the above questions.