TRADITIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE IMOTSKI REGION

Imotski se prvi put spominje u 10. st. Nastao je na temeljima starohrvatske župe Emothe kao središte šire regije zvane Imotska krajina. Tradicijska kulturna baština važno je obilježje nacionalnog identiteta. Pučki običaji i usmene predaje neizostavan su dio svakog kraja. U radu su zabilježeni adventski i božićni običaji, korizmeni i uskrsni, običaji kojima se štuju pojedini sveci, svakodnevni običaji te pjesme i predaje sačuvane u narodnom pamćenju.Imoćani posebno slave Gospu od Anđela, Svetoga Antu i Franju, ali i sve svece Katoličke Crkve. U ovom kraju rado se prepričavaju legenda o Gavanu i Gavanici, balada o Hasanaginici, ali i mnogobrojne druge zgode. Priče i običaji mijenjali su se tijekom godina. Društvene, gospodarske, političke i vjerske prilike imale su veliki utjecaj na običaje i kulturnu baštinu, a upravo je ta modernizacija najvećim dijelom kriva za nestanak i zaborav velikog dijela narodnih običaja. Izrazito je važno bilježiti ih i čuvati od zaborava kako ne bismo ostali bez tog bitnog dijela nacionalnog identiteta.Imotski has first been mentioned in the 10th century. It was built on the foundations of the old Croatian parish of Emotheas the center of a wider region called Imotska krajina. Traditive cultural heritage is an important feature of the national identity. Folk customs and oral traditions are an unomittable part of every region. Advent and Christmas customs, Lent and Easter customs, customs by which certain saints are venerated, everyday customs and songs and traditions preserved in the national memory are noted in this thesis. Imotians especially venerate Our Lady of the Angels, Saint Anthony and Saint Francis, but also all of the Saints of the Catholic Church. In this region the legend of Gavan and Gavanica, the ballad ofHasanaginica, but also the many other events are gladly retold. Stories and customs have changed throughout the years. Social, economic, political and religious circumstances have had a great influence on the customs and the cultural heritage, and it is precisely this modernisation that is largely to blame for the disappearance and forgetting of a large part of folk customs. It is extremely important to record them and keep them from being forgotten so that we do not lose that fundamental part of our national identity