Vallahades
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The Vallahades were a Greek-speaking, Muslim population who lived along the river Bistritsa in southwest Macedonia. They numbered about 12,000. (Haslett, 1927) They were presumably of Vlach origin.
They were deported to Turkey as part of the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, where they have continued to speak Greek, though they have taken a Turkish identity. (Andrews, 1989, p. 103; Friedman)
Even after their deportation, they continued to celebrate New Year's Day with a Vasilopita, generally considered to be a Christian custom associated with Saint Basil, but they have renamed it a cabbage/greens/leek cake and do not leave a piece for the saint. (Hasluck, 1927)
[edit] References
- Peter Alford Andrews, Rüdiger Benninghaus, eds. Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1989. (cited by Friedman, not seen)
- Frederick de Jong, "The Greek Speaking Muslims of Macedonia: Reflections on Conversion and Ethnicity", pp. 141-148 in Hendrik Boeschoten, ed., De Turcicis Aliisque Rebus: Commentarii Henry Hofman dedicati Utrecht: Institut voor Oosterse Talen en Culturen, 1992. (cited by Friedman, not seen)
- Victor A. Friedman, "The Vlah Minority in Macedonia: Language, Identity, Dialectology, and Standardization", pp. 26-50 in Juhani Nuoluoto, Martii Leiwo, Jussi Halla-aho, eds., University of Chicago Selected Papers in Slavic, Balkan, and Balkan Studies (Slavica Helsingiensa 21). Helsinki: University of Helsinki. 2001. full text
- Margaret M. Hasluck, "The Basil-Cake of the Greek New Year", Folklore 38:2:143 (June 30, 1927) JSTOR
