Paper short abstract:

During the 20th century, the cultural code of the Himara population underwent significant transformations caused by social and political reasons. Violation of the established order occurs on those calendar dates and for such family events that previously involved visiting an Orthodox church.

Paper long abstract:

This study analyzes the tradition of meeting fellow villagers “for coffee”, held on the main square on the occasion of important dates and holidays, as well as events in family life. During the 20th century, the cultural code of the Himara population underwent significant transformations caused by social and political reasons.

Violation of the established order occurs on those calendar dates and for such family events that previously (before the start of the atheistic struggle against religion launched by the authorities in 1967–1968) involved visiting an Orthodox church. When the institutions of the cult were closed, people began to gather in the main square, but not in the temple, but in cafés. The ban on celebrating a religious holiday led to the transformation of the holiday into a “coffee meeting”. And women can take part in this event. The “symbol” of such ceremonies was the plane tree. With the democratic reforms in Albania in the early 1990s, this tradition has not changed, but only strengthened its position. Not a single engagement or agreement on the upcoming wedding can have the force of law, if they are not announced “under the plane tree.”

A significant role in the change of ritual practices was played by: 1) the factor of the prestige of the sacred locus; 2) the mechanism of revitalization of tradition, which is activated in the event of artificial interference in the ritual sphere; 3) voluntary or involuntary desire of various communities to museify the past.