Past is Present in Romanian Festivals - part 1

If enjoyed reading Past is present in Romanian festivals – part 1, you’ll probably like to hear more about traditional festivals and their staples. A common one is the dance of the bears (the two-legged costumed variety). Along with their Gypsy trainer and a youth beating a tambourine-type instrument, the animals crawl through the crowd. Reaching the center, the bears dance until they fall to the ground, dead. After their hearts are taken by the trainer, they return to life, theoretically, a more gentle one. Even today, more bears exist in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains than any place in Europe and this ancient rite suggests the power of man to tame nature.

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The summer after my first full-time job supplied (barely) the dollars for an airline ticket, I headed to Europe. That was many years ago, but the idea of travel being the reward for work never died. Somewhere along the way, as the destinations became more remote and thus, more expensive, I decided to try supplementing both my income and trip experiences with travel writing. It was a natural fit. While naming a single country as my favorite has proven impossible, Romania would certainly appear on any short list. Following my first visit in 1988, I returned more than a dozen times, driving my own Romanian-made Dacia from virtually one end of the country to the other. Perhaps Romania’s mountains and villages played a role in my decision to move from the New York metropolitan area to the town of 2,300 people in south-central Montana where I live now. It wouldn’t be the only influence Romania has had on my life.

Few people in today’s world continue and cherish their age-old customs as do the villagers of Romania. Hardly a week passes without a religious or secular festival somewhere in this eastern European country. A number of the most colorful take place between Christmas and New Year’s.

Tucked into the country’s northwestern corner, hard by the border with Ukraine, the region of Maramures is a land of 15th century wooden churches, elaborately carved towering gates rising before even modest homes, and unique music and dress. Many consider it the most unspoiled area in all Europe. Even here, however, one date – December 27 – stands out as a time for celebrating traditional culture. On this day, the normally less-than-charming town of Sighetu Marmatiei, popularly known as Sighet, is transformed for the Festivalul Datinilor de Iarna, or Winter Festival.

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