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Within South Eastern Europe however, Romania preserved a significant
number of traditional customs and celebrations manifest within the strong
community of the village. Ceremonies dedicated to the significant moments
of one's life (birth, wedding, death), to natural cycles (such as solstice,
equinox, harvest, springtime) or to the big religious celebrations, follow
the same archaic mythical rituals they did a thousand years ago. Even
though preformed at the end of the 20th century in villages marked by
modernization, such traditional rites haven't diminish their prestige. They
still provide viable answers to how to live in harmony with the environment
and community, that the present social and economical system cannot
furnish. As a result of the historical time we live, most forms of
traditional community life slowly vanished from the post-industrial
civilizations of this century.
During winter solstice, when the sun is weak and frost and dryness
take over, Romanian peasants conceived ceremonies to help the Sun and
Nature to overcome this "temporary crisis." For 12 days between Christmas
and St. John on January 7th, all Romanian villages have specific
celebrations, starting with children's caroling on Christmas eve: Mos Ajun
or Buna Dimineata (Good Morning).
Well spread throughout Romanian countryside is the caroling of the
Ceata de feciori (the Young Fellows Crew). In Transylvania, Banat,
Maramures, and also in Wallachia and Dobruja, young bachelors in groups of
6 to 25, go caroling around the village for 3 days. Irrespective of the
time of the day, they are expected by the villagers with lots of food and
their porch lights on at night time. These carols are considered to be some
of the most valuable works of poetry in Eastern Europe.
New Year's is another period of festivities. Augural time, the night
of December 31st puts forth dances with masks, divination, foretelling, and
magic. The caroling repertoire is vast. Besides ritual songs such as
Plugusor (little plough), Buhai (traditional drum), Capra (goat dance),
Ursul (bear dance), there are carols for each category of individuals
within the community (old, very young, young, newly weds, ready to marry,
young parents, families without children, etc), for each profession
(shepherd, farmer, bucket makers, soldiers), or for specific regions (such
as Jiu dwellers). In certain villages, we can find gatherings as large as
100 people of smaller young fellows' crews singing together on the streets
(Bukovinan Malanca). In Moldova, the choreography, costumes and ritual
dances during the caroling festivities represent a genuine work of art.
Running parallel to the public communal festivities, specific rites go
on in private houses. Young women get together to guess about their future
husband, and old people make |