On 21^st of April, Carpathian shepherds met in Ludzimierz to celebrate the opening of sheep grazing season.

This year’s event was held under the “Carpathian Unite” project.

Each year, Carpathian shepherds come to Ludzimierz to celebrate Saint Wojciech’s Day. According to tradition, before the sheep pasturage starts, an inaugural event has to take place. 

During the event, animals are led to a square next to the church by their owners, together with a traditional Carpathian band, playing, typical for this region, music. Shepherds draw water from the spring and carry it to the church, where, during the special mass, it is consecrated. The same holy water is later used to bless the sheep. 

This year’s meeting in Ludzmierz was special because guests from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Romania were present. The event has also inaugurated International Carpathian Sheep Transhumance 2013. As Patrycja Piekut, the “Carpathian Unite” project coordinator from UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre stated: Carpathian Mountains have always been uniting, not only its inhabitants, but also everyone that cares about maintaining the unique character of this region. 

 

 

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