International Folklore Festival - Veliko Tarnovo

Almost all men and women of our parish were workers of the salt pans. Nowadays there are people who still do this work but many have abandoned it as it is not profitable.
Because of this activity many people started singing and dancing according to the type of work they were doing. Therefore in 1959 some people decided to organise a group that could preserve the culture connected with activity. The men and women that work in the salt pans are always very friendly and transmit that friendliness and happiness through their song and dances.
The group tries to show all the details of our past culture since the music to the costumes, which are copies of the ones used in the last decade of the 19th century and first decade of the 20th. Almost all the dancers use working costumes while they are performing. They dance bare feet because it is the only way to work in the salt pans. The group also presents the costumes of the fisherman (very typical in our region), the bride and the groom wearing black (tradition of the poor people), the owners of the salt pans (richest people) and the Sunday costumes of the workers.
All the objects that the group shows are copies in small scale of the ones used in the salt pans. However when we go on stage we always bring real ones to explain to the audience how it really was in the past and still is in the present. As it can be seen in the postcards the ladies dance some dances with baskets full of real salt produced in our salt pans so that it can become more real.
All the songs, melodies and dances are a result of a great research made in our region before the organization of the group. This research has never stopped, we still continue doing it.
Since 1959 the group has already performed all over our country and in different places of Europe, namely Spain (tour times), Luxembourg (twice), Belgium (twice), Lithuania (once), Switzerland (three times) Hungary (once), and Croatia (once). We have already been in many TV channels in Portugal, France (Antenne 2), in Luxembourg, Sweden, Netherlands and in Lithuania we had a programme of 45 minutes of the national TV. In Portugal we also participated in the great event EXPO 98 in Lisbon representing the sea salt.
In these countries we have been in different types of festivals including many of CIOFF organization – SIVO in Holland, Rattviksdansen in Sweden, FIFO in Martigny – Switzerland, Bohnheiden and Edegem in Belgium, Rouergue in France; Szeged in Hungary, Aviano in Italy (twice), etc.
Many young people who are students of secondary schools, teachers, and engineers as well as workers of factories in the area form the group.
We have already received groups from France, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and Lithuania in our village.
All the members of the group are always willing to travel abroad not only to show our traditions but also to learn about other countries.


Foreign Ensembles have taken part in the Festival:
PORTUGAL RANCHO FOLKLORICO “AS SALINEIRAS DE LAVOS” FIGUEIRA DA FOZ		ALBANIA, ARMENIAN FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, BURYATIYA, CANADA, CHINESE TAIPEI, CROATIA, COLUMBIA, COSTA RICA, DENMARK, EGYPT, GEORGIA, GREECE, HUNGARY, INDIA, INDONEZIA, IRAN, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, JORDAN, LATVIA, MACEDONIA, MEXICO, MORDOVIA, NIGERIA, PERU, POLAND, PORTUGAL, PUERTO RICO, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SCOTLAND, SERBIAand MONTENEGRO, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TURKEY, UKRAINE, USA
	Lavos is our parish, which is 8 km south from Figueira da Foz, our town. There are many beautiful sea sorts around the town and Lavos is one of them. This is a tourist place, which is visited every year by thousands of people from Portugal and many other countries, essentially form Europe. Because we live near the sea it was possible to start the industry of sea salt many years ago. It was the main occupation of the villagers for a long time. However it was not very profitable because the work only lasted for five months (from May till September). Sun and soft wind are essential conditions to produce sea salt.
Almost all men and women of our parish were workers of the salt pans. Nowadays there are people who still do this work but many have abandoned it as it is not profitable. Because of this activity many people started singing and dancing according to the type of work they were doing. Therefore in 1959 some people decided to organise a group that could preserve the culture connected with activity. The men and women that work in the salt pans are always very friendly and transmit that friendliness and happiness through their song and dances. The group tries to show all the details of our past culture since the music to the costumes, which are copies of the ones used in the last decade of the 19th century and first decade of the 20th. Almost all the dancers use working costumes while they are performing. They dance bare feet because it is the only way to work in the salt pans. The group also presents the costumes of the fisherman (very typical in our region), the bride and the groom wearing black (tradition of the poor people), the owners of the salt pans (richest people) and the Sunday costumes of the workers. All the objects that the group shows are copies in small scale of the ones used in the salt pans. However when we go on stage we always bring real ones to explain to the audience how it really was in the past and still is in the present. As it can be seen in the postcards the ladies dance some dances with baskets full of real salt produced in our salt pans so that it can become more real. All the songs, melodies and dances are a result of a great research made in our region before the organization of the group. This research has never stopped, we still continue doing it. Since 1959 the group has already performed all over our country and in different places of Europe, namely Spain (tour times), Luxembourg (twice), Belgium (twice), Lithuania (once), Switzerland (three times) Hungary (once), and Croatia (once). We have already been in many TV channels in Portugal, France (Antenne 2), in Luxembourg, Sweden, Netherlands and in Lithuania we had a programme of 45 minutes of the national TV. In Portugal we also participated in the great event EXPO 98 in Lisbon representing the sea salt. In these countries we have been in different types of festivals including many of CIOFF organization – SIVO in Holland, Rattviksdansen in Sweden, FIFO in Martigny – Switzerland, Bohnheiden and Edegem in Belgium, Rouergue in France; Szeged in Hungary, Aviano in Italy (twice), etc. Many young people who are students of secondary schools, teachers, and engineers as well as workers of factories in the area form the group. We have already received groups from France, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and Lithuania in our village. All the members of the group are always willing to travel abroad not only to show our traditions but also to learn about other countries.