The event “The Embroidered Bread of Varnavas: Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow” was held with great success and attracted a large audience on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at the European Bread Museum in Varnavas, Attica, marking the third anniversary of the inscription of the art of embroidered bread in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.
The event was opened by Ms Milea Pappa, President of the Varnavas Folklore Society of the Municipality of Marathon and founder of the European Bread Museum.
The keynote speaker was Mr Evangelos Karamanes, Director of the Hellenic Folklore Research Centre of the Academy of Athens.
Ms Aikaterini Flevari, philologist and author of the nomination file for the inscription of “The Art of Embroidered Bread in Varnavas, Attica” in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece, delivered a presentation entitled “From Yesterday to Today: Embroidered Bread in Varnavas, Attica, and Its Inscription in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.”
Greetings were delivered by Mr Christos Stamos, Deputy Mayor of Marathon; Mr Vasilis Oikonomou, Member of the Hellenic Parliament for East Attica; and Ms Vaso Kollia, political scientist and politician.
Messages conveying best wishes for the success of the event were sent by His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece; former Minister of Culture Mr Pavlos Geroulanos; Member of Parliament Mr Manolis Christodoulakis; Secretary General for Culture Dr Olympia Vikatos; and Deputy Regional Governor of Attica Ms Christina Kefalogianni.
The event was also honoured by the presence of representatives of the Horizon Chinese Cultural Centre; Mr Petros Stamou, Municipal Councillor of the Municipality of Marathon; Mr Christos Brisimis, Community Councillor of Varnavas; Dr Panagiotis N. Sfaelos, journalist and Secretary General of the Association of European Journalists; Ms Varvara Zagari, President of the Parents and Guardians Association of Varnavas Kindergarten; Mr Timos Petridis, Head of the Gastronomy and Culture Group; Mr Nikos Kourounakos of the Friends of the Archaeological Museum of Marathon; representatives of the association “Friends of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture”; as well as educators from schools across Attica.
A particularly memorable moment of the evening was the cultural reenactment “From Generation to Generation: Embroidering the Wedding Bread.” People of different generations gathered around the same table — from young participants aged 12 and 20 to women aged 92 — and embroidered the bread together, putting into practice the transmission of the art, knowledge and symbolism associated with this tradition from one generation to the next.
The reenactment culminated with the “bride” and “groom” breaking the embroidered bread in two, in keeping with tradition, and sharing pieces with the audience, reviving scenes and practices that once formed an integral part of the traditional wedding celebration.
Visitors were particularly impressed by the exhibition of embroidered breads, the creativity and artistry demonstrated by the women in their intricate creations, and the hands-on workshops, in which children and adults alike participated with great enthusiasm. Through these workshops, visitors had the opportunity to discover the tradition at close hand and to experience the art of embroidered bread-making for themselves.
The event was supported by the Municipality of Marathon, AIGEAS AMKE, DAKOU MILLS, OENOTRIA GI – COSTA LAZARIDI, as well as businesses from the Municipal Communities of Varnavas and Kapandriti.
The evening was accompanied by live traditional music, bringing to a fitting close an event dedicated to the safeguarding, transmission and continuation of an important expression of local cultural heritage. Ευρετήριο Άυλης Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς της Ελλάδας».
