Blooming marvelous! Village’s traditional ‘flower carpets’ to be entered into UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List
Residents of a tiny village west of Łódź are celebrating after it was announced that their traditional ‘flower carpets’ would be entered into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Though yet to be made official, the entry looks set to be formalized next week in Paris during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Largely unique to Spycimierz, a modest village of less than 400 people, for years locals have marked the occasion of Corpus Christi by decorating the route taken by the annual religious procession with intricately assembled floral carpets.
The news comes three years after the carpets were inducted into Poland’s own list of cultural treasures, and 19-months after they were nominated for UNESCO recognition by the Ministry of Culture & National Heritage.
Largely unique to Spycimierz, a modest village of less than 400 people, for years locals have marked the occasion of Corpus Christi by decorating the route taken by the annual religious procession with intricately assembled floral carpets.
Consisting of vibrant patterns, and often two meters in their width, these carpets stretch over a kilometre in length.
Consisting of vibrant patterns, and often two meters in their width, these carpets stretch over a kilometre in length.
A parish effort, individual sections are often the work of whole families who traditionally unite as one to adorn the area outside their homes with flowers.
According to the village’s website, “the task [of decoration] is distributed among the entire community, especially families whose houses lie alone the route. There are over twenty of these families, and it is their duty to tune the section of their property.
A parish effort, individual sections are often the work of whole families who traditionally unite as one to adorn the area outside their homes with flowers.
The work of children, teens and adults, “they are driven by passion and an attachment to this tradition,” explains the website.
Using flowers, bark, leaves and branches collected on the Sunday preceding the festival, the floral motifs are often highly complex and designed so as to follow religious themes by presenting crucifixes, angels, fish and other such symbols.
As photogenic as these have proved, Maria Pełka, the President of the local Corpus Christi association, stresses that the resulting patterns are not for the benefit of curious outsiders: “The diversity of these designs is interesting for tourists, but in Spycimierz we do this primarily because of our faith.”
Using flowers, bark, leaves and branches collected on the Sunday preceding the Corpus Christi festival, the floral motifs are often highly complex and designed so as to follow religious themes by presenting crucifixes, angels, fish and other such symbols.
According to Pełka, the carpets have also changed in tune with the times. “Their arrangement has been influenced by the changes that have taken place with the progress of the world – time has accelerated here. There used to be more time to lay the carpets, but now we do everything faster. In the past, patterns were drawn by hand, but today we also find inspiration on the internet.”
Quite when this tradition dates from has proved the subject of debate. Though the oldest recorded written mention goes back to 1957, oral accounts stretch back far further.
According to some, the custom was born during the inter-war years, however, others claim that it was first put into practice over 200-years ago to greet troops returning from the Napoleonic wars.
Maria Pełka, the President of the local Corpus Christi association, said: “The diversity of these designs is interesting for tourists, but in Spycimierz we do this primarily because of our faith.”
What is not disputed, though, is that the tradition can be strongly traced to the cult of the Eucharist.
Likewise, neither can its power to unify the community be called into question.
Speaking recently to Fakt, Józef Kaczmarek, the Mayor of nearby Uniejów, said: “There is no commercialism here. Nobody buys these flowers, they are picked in the fields…
Quite when this tradition dates from has proved the subject of debate. Though the oldest recorded written mention goes back to 1957, oral accounts stretch back far further.
“From father to son, and from generation to generation, this tradition has been passed on orally in Spycimierz. And it is not a tradition that it is dying, serving instead as something of a family reunion.
“Whole families scattered around the country, and even beyond, reunite at Corpus Christi to arrange flowers together. It is of great value, hence the efforts to include this on the UNESCO list.”
Finally, it would seem, it is an appeal that has been heard.
