SIEF is an international organisation that facilitates and stimulates cooperation among scholars working within European Ethnology, Folklore Studies, Cultural Anthropology and related fields.
Each second year the organisation organises an international congress - this year's took place in Helsinki and the one before that, in 2019, took place in Santiago de Compostela. The first of these congresses took place in Malta in 2005 and this book brings together the documents presented then.
The book's editor was the late George Mifsud-Chircop who was also the main organiser of the congress.
The first part of the book collects the contributions by Maltese speakers, ranging from well-known writer Jeremy Boissevain on parish rituals in Malta, Anna Borg-Cardona on Malta's musical instruments, Carmel Cassar on the Maltese festa, Joseph F. Grima on Holy Week processions at Qormi, Mifsud-Chircop himself on Malta's past Carnival and Anthony Pace on Maltese ritual funerary monuments.
But for me at least the most interesting section of the book contains the contributions made by foreign speakers at the congress - all 31 of them.
I single out the contribution by Evy Johanne Haland from the University of Bergen, Norway on the ritual year as a woman's life.
There is a continuity between the cult of the ancient goddesses, Demeter and Athena, and that of the modern Panagia as the Eastern Orthodox call the Virgin Mary. The Greeks conceive the Earth as a woman's body and the agricultural year as a woman's life. The Earth is also seen as the female sex organ.
The modern official ecclesiastical year starts at the turning point of the year when the Panagia's birthday is celebrated. The ancient Panathenaea dedicated to the birthday of Athena, the goddess of the olive tree, was celebrated in August, the first month of the official year.
The Orthodox liturgical year is established through Panagia's biography. It begins around autumn and several important moments in the life of Panagia are celebrated during this period of the year, that is, before and around sowing and during the germination and growth of the corn crops.
Panagia's birth is celebrated on 8 September, the Entry into the Temple (Presentation) is celebrated on 21 November. On 9 December Panagia's conception is celebrated and the day after the birth of Christ, the Orthodox celebrate the midwife, Agia Domenika.
The celebration of Panagia's Presentation in the Temple marks the setting in of winter. The new agricultural year starts at the time of ploughing and sowing when the grain is sowed "into the womb of the earth" where it is going to rest until harvest time in May/June.
Spring is also important. The Annunciation is celebrated on 25 March, around the Spring equinox. The first Friday after the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated as the festival of the Life-giving Spring, before the barley harvest in May.
The Panagia's death or "Dormition" is celebrated on 15 August, followed by her burial or the ninth day's ritual of Panagia on 23 August, reflecting ordinary death rituals. On 31 August the Presentation of the Honourable Belt of the Virgin (Cintura) is celebrated.
There is more in this contribution on the Ancient Greece celebrations and how they have filtered through the celebration of the Panagia.
Other contributions in this section speak about reviving St Olaf's Day in Norway, reclaiming the Glastonbury festival in England, Jack a Lent, Shrovetide and Lent in 17th century England, "Holidays of the Plough" in Russia, Ash Wednesday celebrations in Iceland, celebrating Easter in Early Ireland, Easter in Estonia, political Carnival procession on Palm Sunday in Bulgaria and most weirdly scourging rituals in southern Italy.
Other contributions still speak about introducing multiculturalism through Christmas food in Sweden and midsummer celebration in Denmark, and the ritual year of an American cowboy.