Every community expresses itself through rituals—shared actions that reflect culture, values, and customs. This page showcases the rituals imagined by Rondin’es students and their guests.
Learn more below.
Balajan
A ritual by future Azerbaijani—Armenian communities and the Tavush/Tovuz Çay river.
Balajan, “my baby” in both Azerbaijani and Armenia, is a quiet ceremony held at the threshold of transformation. It binds generations of women through an intimate exchange of knowledge — the Kelagayi and the Lavash, memory and sustenance. Rooted in home, it honors both departure and return, and leaves a new bride wrapped in wisdom.
Project Team: Zohara, Ofelya
Kelagayi (Azerbaijan) is a traditional silk headscarf symbolizing elegance, respect, and cultural identity. Lavash (Armenia) is a soft, thin flatbread symbolizing family warmth and culinary heritage.
Stage 1 – Gathering
Grandmother and granddaughter sit together and hold each other in their gaze — past and future aligned.
Stage 2 – The Draping of Protection
The kelagayi is lifted, wrapped gently across the shoulders. A gesture of blessing and shelter.
Stage 3 – The Offering of Bread
The lavash, golden and thin, is placed in the grandmother’s hands. It is made by the girl’s own hands - a gift of care returned.
Stage 4 – Words Between Generations
Stories are passed like a secret braid — things to remember when the house is new and the nights are long.
Stage 5 – The Circle Expands
Now others join - friends and family connect. Laughter, hands and eyes.
Stage 6 – The Dance of Becoming
Night arrives with rhythm. The granddaughter, wrapped in memory and hope, dances in a circle of women. A new chapter begins.
Good Night Dance
A ritual by future Kosovo—Serbian communities and the Ibar river.
Each evening the Cift Kalendar bridges generations through rhythm and reflection. With every pluck of its strings and turn of its calendar, it carries the family toward sleep, offering music and a ritual that grounds the day in joy and togetherness.
Project Team: Tea, Bind
The Cift Kalendar is a hybrid object combining the stringed instrument cifteli, common in Kosovo, with the symbolic rhythm of the Serbian wall calendar. Each evening, it is played to mark the day’s end, revealing the next day’s song and drawing the family into a moment of shared music and time.
Stage 1
The family finishes dinner together, the day's conversations still echoing at the table.
Stage 2
All eyes turn to the Cift Kalendar hanging at the entrance to the living room. Its presence marks time.
Stage 3
The eldest in the family lifts it gently from the wall and begins to play the song of the day. The room fills with music, and the rest of the family dances together.
Stage 4
As the last notes fade, the page for the current day is removed. Beneath it, the next day’s song quietly reveals itself.
Stage 5
The youngest takes the instrument with care and returns it to its place on the wall, a soft gesture closing the circle of the evening.
Stage 6
With the ritual complete, everyone goes to bed, carrying the music into their dreams and awaiting the next day's melody.
Bozo–Fulani
A ritual by future Mali communities and the Niger river.
Bozo Fulani is a ritual uniting the Bozo (fishing community) and Fulani (pastoral community) of Mali. Held annually during the full moon of the first harvest, this symbolic event celebrates intercultural peace, cooperation, and shared identity.
Project Team: Bernadette, Djenebou
Capfish is a Fulani community based hat, with Bozo-inspired shape and colors.
Stage 1 – Preparation of the Sacred Hats
Artisans from both communities craft Palaar hats shaped like fish, using Bozo-inspired colors (red, blue, green, yellow, black). These hats symbolize the blending of traditions.
Stage 2 – Gathering at the Niger River
At dawn, community members gather at the river. Fulani men wear their fish hats; Fulani women carry pots of fresh cow milk—gifts for their Bozo neighbors.
Stage 3 – The Milk and Water Ceremony
Participants drink milk and then dip their hands into the Niger River. This act represents a bond: milk nourishes (Fulani), water purifies (Bozo) — together they create life.
Stage 4 – The Sound of Fusion
Bozo musicians play the long flute; Fulani musicians answer with the talking drum. The music evokes rain, animals, fish, and harmony.
Stage 5 – The Canoe of Reconciliation
A ceremonial canoe crosses the river. It features a giant fish hat as its sail and carries a wooden cow. This journey symbolizes the crossing of cultural boundaries.
Stage 6 – The Elder's Blessing
Everyone dances wearing the fish-shaped hats. Children sing in a blended Bozo-Fulani dialect. An elder from either community recites the annual phrase: "Who wears the hat of the fish can hear the voice of the milk. And those who drink together, live together."
Pachanga de las Mochilanas
A ritual by future Colombian communities and the Magdalena river.
The Pachanga de las Mochilanas is a family ritual that marks a child’s passage into adulthood. Centered around the handcrafted Mochilana and the ancestral drink camilana, the ceremony celebrates identity, responsibility, and belonging. Held each December 10th, it honors both tradition and transformation in a garden filled with laughter, corn, and legacy.
Project Team: Carlos, Jesus
Mochilana is a handcrafted vessel made from straw on the outside and a liquid-safe lining inside, gifted within families to mark the passage into adulthood. It carries camilana, a traditional homemade alcoholic drink, and symbolizes memory, identity, and generational continuity.
Stage 1 – Unsealing the Past
The family gathers in the garden. The eldest lifts an aged Mochilana, with a steady breath, he uncaps it, and all drink a sip.
Stage 2 – The Giving
The eldest steps forward, holding a new, unfilled Mochilana. It is passed with both hands to the child — no longer a child. The gift is not only the vessel, but the burden and beauty of adulthood.
Stage 3 – The First Fill
With care, someone pours the family’s camilana into the new bottle. The liquid swirls in, amber and warm. The young bearer cradles it — a sacred transfer, an initiation. Cheers erupt, soft and proud.
Stage 4 – The Feast of Ingredients
A great meal is shared under trees heavy with memory. Every dish echoes camilana: corn steamed, ground, roasted, and sweetened. The taste binds tongues and hearts. Laughter returns. Plates empty.
Stage 5 – The Brewing Circle
Gathering in a tight ring, the family begins to mix the first steps of next year’s camilana. The youngest helps, learning by doing. A fresh draft is born in shadow and song.
Stage 6 – Night of the Carriers
As dusk deepens, the Mochilanas are lifted, new and old, and held high. People dance, bottles slung from belts or held close to chests. It is a dance for those who came before, and those still to come.
Shozan
A ritual by future Georgian—South Ossetian communities and the Liakhvi river.
Each year on January 7th, the people of Georgia and South Ossetia gather in a shared city square to welcome the joy of Christmas. Together they raise Satazhan — a symbol of unity, childhood wonder, and collective light — to the top of the community tree. Voices and memories weave through the branches, and for one bright day, they are one.
Project Team: Tornike, Atsa
Satazhan is a handcrafted festive ornament placed atop the community Christmas tree. It serves as both a decoration and a symbolic toy, representing joy, unity, and shared celebration among Georgian and Ossetian communities.
Stage 1 – Gathering at First Light
At dawn, families pour into the city square, with arms full of ornaments. Children chase each other around, the bare tree stands quietly, ready to be transformed.
Stage 2 – The Chorus Begins
A local choir leads with Georgian and Ossetian carols. The crowd joins, harmonizing across traditions. The music carries old words into new air.
Stage 3 – The Decorating Spiral
People decorate together, climbing in spirals up the tree. Each ornament carries a personal memory or handmade detail. Children are lifted high to hang theirs.
Stage 4 – The Climb of Satazhan
The youngest and the eldest place Satazhan atop the tree.
Stage 5 – Shared Blessings and Firelight
People gather in a circle, sharing stories and candles. The tree glows, and Satazhan shines like a woven star of unity and peace.
Stage 6 – Midnight Stillness
Night settles. Music fades. Children sleep. The tree remains lit, Satazhan waving gently in the night, holding the memory of the day.
The Making of Teplynka
A ritual by future Ukrainan–Russian communities and the Desna river.
Each winter, the Teplynka carries warmth stitched by generations — a tender fusion of Russian and Ukrainian legacy. Made by grandparents and worn by grandchildren, it holds not only heat, but intention, memory, and care. The ritual spans kitchens, firelight, laughter, and snow — holding space for new steps through old stories.
Project Team: Anna, Valeria
Teplynka is a hand-stitched felt boot passed between generations, carrying warmth, embroidered blessings, and family memories.It is based on the Russian Valenki is a traditional Ukrainian embroidery. Teplynka is made by grandparents and gifted before first snow. It is worn as both protection and legacy.
Stage 1 – Arrival
Grandchildren arrive at their grandparents’ home, coats are unwrapped, cheeks pink with cold.
Stage 2 – The Wishing Thread
Gathered around a table, grandparents and grandchildren speak together about dreams and hopes. For each child, the grandparents decide on an intention — courage, love, healing — to be stitched into the embroidery of that year's Teplynka. They laugh, remember, and sometimes cry.
Stage 3 – Blini and Firelight
As they choose symbols and colors, the family prepares blini together — soft, round, golden — the food of sun and cycle. They eat near the fireplace, where old stories are told and warmth is shared.
Stage 4 – The Family Portrait
Before night falls, a photograph is taken — everyone together, surrounded by autumn's last light. This photo will join the family album.
Stage 5 – Stories of the Past
After the photo, they open a cloth-bound album — looking at images of previous generations wearing their own Teplynkas. Children trace the stitches on old boots with their fingers, hearing stories of the past.
Stage 6 – First Snow, First Step
When the first snow comes — around Christmas — the children wear their new Teplynkas outdoors for the first time. They walk, run, and play. The wishes stitched into each boot begin their journey through the winter.
Qituria
A ritual by future Kosovo–Serbian communities and the Ibar river.
Qituria is a springtime ritual performed in the river-wrapped mountains by adults seeking new friendships and community bonds. Blending humor, tradition, movement, and storytelling, it centers around the shared presence of Qitura — each vessel carrying not just drink, but intention.
Project Team: Vick, Bind
Qitura is a hybrid object made from Qilim – a handwoven rug from Kosovo, known for its bold patterns and ceremonial use and Rakija – a homemade fruit brandy from Serbia, symbolizing hospitality, tradition, and connection.
Stage 1 – Arriving
Participants arrive and sit on woven qilims spread across the grass while feasting. Qitura rests unopened beside each person.
Stage 2 – Toasting
At sunset, bottles are unsealed. Participants raise Qitura in toast — to connection, peace, and the river.
Stage 3 – Singing
Voices rise in song. Familiar melodies and spontaneous chants move through the group. Qitura is passed between hands, becoming part of the rhythm.
Stage 4 – Dancing
Feet begin to move, echoing river currents. Participants dance in circles and flowing lines. Qitura swings on straps or is sipped between movements — its weight part of the choreography.
Stage 5 – Role-Playing
People act out imagined stories — playful scenes drawn from dreams or local myths. Qitura becomes a prop, a relic, or a character in these living tales.
Stage 6 – Embracing
As twilight deepens, the group shares final embraces. Each hug seals a new connection.
Lulastar
A ritual by future Azerbaijani—Armenian communities and the Tavush/Tovuz Çay river.
Lulastar is a newborn welcoming ritual rooted in music, fabric, dance, and communal blessing. The name combines 'lullaby' and 'star' — evoking a cradle-song of the stars, a whispered dream for the child’s life ahead.
Project Team: Samir, Mariam; Facilitated by Giovanni
Saz is a traditional Azerbaijani long-necked string instrument used in storytelling and folk music, providing rhythm and emotional tone during the ritual. Taraz is an Armenian ceremonial garment worn by the mother, symbolizing hertage, beauty, and the continuity of life.
Stage 1 – Entrance Offering
Guests arrive with symbolic gifts and lay them near the door. The saz plays gently in the background.
Stage 2 – The Presentation
The mother appears wearing the Taraz and holding the newborn. She steps into the center, framed by silence and attention.
Stage 3 – Gifting Circle
Participants gather in a circle, placing their offerings near the baby.
Stage 4 – Dance Spiral
A spiral dance begins around the child, led by rhythmic saz music.
Stage 5 – Binding Thread
A red thread is passed through all hands, ending tied between mother and baby — a symbol of protection and lineage.
Stage 6 – Silent Blessing
With the baby asleep, the room darkens. Each person hears a single saz note as they envision a future for the child.
Mochicha
A ritual by future Colombian communities and the Magdalena river.
This ritual is performed at sunset by fishermen upon returning from a successful day of work on the river. It takes place along the riverbanks, alternating between two neighboring communities. The ritual’s purpose is to celebrate the day’s labor, affirm community ties, and is centered around the Mochicha.
Project Team: Carlos, Jesus
The Mochicha is a ceremonial vessel that blends the colorful woven tradition of the Indigenous Wayuu mochila (a traditional basket) with a popular homemade drink container. Made of handwoven yarn and natural clay.
Stage 1 – Arriving
The fishermen agree to visit one of the riverside communities.
Stage 2 – Recognition
Families see the boats approaching and prepare to receive them. The Mochicha is brought out as a signal of welcome and ritual readiness.
Stage 3 – Placement
A mother, connected by herritage to communities at both riverbanks, places the Mochicha in the center of a circle on the ground, anchoring the ritual in shared ancestry.
Stage 4 – Celebration
Music erupts: clapping, drumming, and dancing. The fishermen rejoice, turning labor into rhythm and gratitude.
Stage 5 – Honor
The fisherman with the largest catch is invited to open the Mochicha. Laughter and playful teasing fill the air.
Stage 6 – Sharing
The Mochicha is passed hand to hand. Each drink honors the day's sweat, the river's gift, and the bond between communities.
The Union of Water and Milk
A ritual by future Mali communities and the Niger river.
The ritual features symbolic objects blending Bozo and Fulani traditions. The fish-shaped Pulaar hat, painted with the vivid colors of Bozo masks, represents harmony and unity. The milk bowl, carved in the shape of a wooden carp and painted blue and white, symbolizes nourishment and sharing. The ritual, held annually during the full moon of the first harvest, includes the following steps.
Project Team: Bernadette, Djenebou
Mali Fish is a carved bowl shaped like a fish — blending Fulani milk-sharing and Bozo mask motifs — used in full moon rituals across Mali’s riverbank villages.
Stage 1 – The Milk Offering
At dawn, community members gather at the Niger river. Fulani men wear their fish hats; Fulani women carry pots of fresh cow milk—gifts for their Bozo neighbors. The host offers a blue-and-white carp-shaped milk bowl to the guest. This exchange represents respect and hospitality. The guest drinks the first sip, honoring the ancestors.
Stage 2 – The Circle of Generosity
The milk is shared in a circle among all present—elders, women, youth—signifying equality and shared blessing.
Stage 3 – The Sound of Fusion
Bozo flutists and Fulani drummers perform together, blending rhythms of the river and the savannah.
Stage 4 – The Dance of the Spirits
Participants dance in spirals wearing their fish hats. The dance mimics fish swimming and cows walking, symbolizing harmony.
Stage 5 – Planting the Peace Stone
A painted white stone with blue waves and red horns is buried in the village square as a symbol of peace for the coming year.
Stage 6 – Sacred Words
The ritual ends with all participants chanting: "Life flows like the river, peace stands like the cow. We have remained brothers."
Visualizations on this page are created with ChatGPT 4.5.
Storyboards are based on the visual language of Marble inlay found in Tuscany, and especially the Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena).