The state of South Carolina contains roughly 30,000 square miles of land. While it is one of the smalles states in land area, South Carolina is a remarkably diverse place, both culturally and geographically. From the Appalachians to the Sea Islands, communities ranging in size of Honey Hilll to Columbia are rich sources of tradition and lore. Rooted in family and community activities, folklife involves song, speech, and dance... belief, ritual, and customs... music, craft, and cookery... expressive formas of all kings, communicated directly by observation, imitation, or verbally.

This sharing of information can occur in many different group settings-familial, occupational, religious, social, educational--the possibilities are endless.

The traditional aspects of culture are not static. Folklife is dynamic by nature, a part of a community's hisory that continues to develop every day, with every generation.

 

Folklife is not a remnant of the past, a quaint reminder of the old days that are fading from contemporary society's memory. It is an inseparable part of all out lives, encompassing aspects of culture that provide a connection with the past, identity in the present, and continuity for the future.