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Establishing the 8th of April as International Historic Cafés Day

HCR

Co – organized series of cultural events by the Historic Cafés – members aiming to establish the 8th of April as International Historic Cafés Day.

Although October 1st has been established since 2015 as World Coffee Day, Historic Cafes are claiming a day of their own for several reasons:

  • Historic Cafés culture in Europe expresses local and regional identities and cultural practices and has played a pivotal role in shaping European but also international social and political life as well as playing an important role in art, music and literature. It is only right that these Historic Cafes should continue to be the living heritage, cultural meeting places where people can gather, in every town and city to enjoy local culture and cuisine. Historic Cafes Route is an important means to protect Historic Cafés heritage against the pressures of globalization and standardization.
  • Historic Cafes have always been sites of tremendous cultural expression, places where artists, academics, politicians, actors and musicians loved to frequent. Impressive architecture, buildings of past centuries, refined decoration, traditional delicacies inextricably linked to the local rural culture & antique objects, are some of their most remarkable features. Many of the Cafes have been sites of social, political and cultural fermentation and osmosis. Spaces for free expression and genuine inter-cultural dialogue. Therefore Historic cafes remain a valued part of the fabric of international everyday life and they deserve to be celebrated.
  • The “Historic Cafes” element was recently included in the national list of the intangible cultural heritage of Greece. The term Historic Cafes, is also inscribed on Austria’s national list of intangible cultural heritage and we have been informed that Italy and other countries will follow suit. The final goal is to proceed and apply for the inclusion of the element of Historic Cafes in the international list.

Thus, HCR will work to establish the 8th of April as International Historic Cafes Day, a day to celebrate the tangible and intangible heritage, culture, history and tradition Cafes worldwide promote and offer to its guests.

The aims of establishing the International Historic Cafes Day are the following: 

  • Highlight the importance of the Cafes as social institutions based upon a common culture of coffee consumption
  • Emphasize the role of the Cafes in the artistic, literary and political histories of Europe
  • Enhance the protection of Historic Cafes as representative of different periods and styles of European architecture and design
  • To profile the Cafes as repositories of intangible and tangible cultural heritage particularly relation to the crafts of baking, cooking and service, but also to long lasting cultural practices such as musical and theatrical performances, book presentations, talks and other cultural  events that take place in the Cafes
  • To recognize the importance of Historic Cafes as key attractions and quality experiences in contemporary cultural tourism
  • To facilitate dialogue, exchange, research and understanding of the Historic Cafes of Europe in the frameworks of transnational cooperation and inter cultural dialogue with a special focus on younger generations

Therefore we kindly ask for your proposals and suggestions to organize joint  events for the 8th of April 2023.

More information will follow.

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Under the support of:
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Region of Crete

Under the Αuspices of:
greece

Regional Unit of Chania

chania

Municipality of Chania

evex

Chania Chamber of commerce & Industry

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Historical Archive of Crete

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