In every house the room with the hearth is the most important living area. This is where the meals are prepared and eaten, here guests are regaled and this is also the place where the entire family sleeps. An open fireplace or a simple oven made of clay is the only source of warmth in the frequently cold months of winter. There is no smoke outlet and hardly any furniture. In some regions of Bhutan the house is always handed down from mother to daughter. A woman resides over the household; she administrates the family's financial affairs, she distributes the work, she determines the right time for agricultural activities and she decides about carrying out folk-religious ceremonies for the wellfare of the household. The house is not exclusively private premises - it is regarded as the actual social living space of the community. On social occasions such as weddings or religious rituals every family of the village sends a representative: then the house transforms into a manifestation of the cultural fellow feeling.