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B A L K A N I S M
@balkanism__

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Everytime I go on a holiday, there’s always a tradition I know is coming. I say my goodbyes, reassure my parents that I have packed everything necessary, and that i know where I am going. And then, as I start my journey to the train station or airport, I look back at my mother with a cup of water in her hand, where she proceeds throw it at the ground behind the car. This tradition that is a prominent practice in cultures throughout the Balkans and the Middle East, has been a part of my cultural consciousness ever since I can remember. I recall my grandmother standing at the gates of her home in Prishtina with a jug of water in her hands, as we made our way to the airport. With tears in her eyes, she threw the water behind us, saying something I couldn’t make out. My mother informs me that what she said, was something related to: “may they go like water, and flow back to us”. This concept is present in many cultures in the region, and is said to relate to much older pagan and ritualistic traditions, that related great power and prophecy with water. This folk tradition of the spilling of water, has also been related to good luck, positive affirmations and more. Although there is no scientific basis to this tradition, it continues to be practiced in our region. So much so, that I’ve started integrating it into my own life. So like my grandmother, mother and other ancestors did. I now stand holding a jug of water behind my loved ones when they’re off on another adventure, for I want them to flow right back to me just like water. - - - - #balkan #balkanism #kosovo #kosova #albania #macedonia #bosniaandherzegovina #croatia #serbia #bulgaria #greece #romania #montenegro #romania #turkey #middleeast #culture #folk #traditions #paganism #water