Tradition & Heritage
In spite the fact that the large, urban centres of the Crete inevitably lead the pace of a modern, technocratic and cosmopolitan way of life, they still preserve those elements which constitute the cultural physiognomy of Cretan folk traditions.
The holidays and the festivals, the daily activities and the rich artistic production in traditional sectors of creation are what bond the modern Cretan with the past and his heritage.
The majority of the inhabitants of Crete, particularly those who live in towns and in villages of the inland, upholds customs and traditions.
Traditional professions have withstood the test of time. One might observe the farmer use the same methods of cultivation as were used in previous centuries, the stock breeder making cheese products using the same simple – but effective – apparatuses, the cobbler, and the pewter.
Folklore museums like that of Gavalohori and Lousakies as well as the local collections have salvaged and amassed a large number of antiquated items from the agricultural as well as urban life of a period which has come to an end.
On a daily basis, cultural societies and agro-touristic cooperatives made up of women from various municipalities and villages revive customs relevant to either Cretan traditional cuisine or the art of handicrafts such as knitting, embroidering, weaving and looming.