The Girl Fair of Mount Gaina

Near Mount Gaina you’ll witness one of the most interesting traditions of Romania: the Gaina Girl Fair, taking place each year in the Sunday closest to July 20. Known as "targul de fete", this is the greatest outdoor holiday of the country and it hosts the greatest traditional song and dance groups from Romania.

The history of this celebration was lost in the mist of time, but Mount Gaina was mentioned by Strabon, "the father of geography", who claimed that Dacians had a "cogaiom" mountain near their capital, Sarmisegetuza, where they made their sacrifices. Gaina is probably the peak where Dacians invoked their Gods and offered them such sacrifices. The girl fair is first mentioned officially in 1816 with people from all over Romania taking part in it, specially those from the Bihor, Aries and dwelling near the river Crisul Alb. They’ll exchange traditional products, like food or clothing and have a good time singing old songs and taking part in dances. This place is not only a symbol of Dacian traditions, but also one of the landmarks of the local "gold rush", as the precious metal seemed to have been widespread in this area. Christian tradition placed this holiday in the second decade of July, so it'll be close to the celebration of Saint Ilie. The girl fair of Mount Gaina also has economical reasons, like the need of buying or selling various products, including girls, but only symbolically. The festivities of the girl fair take place in a beautiful local forest, surrounded by fir trees and situated at 1467 metres altitude. There's also a romantic and ethnic motivation of the fair, as young people who live in very remote regions get together in this celebration, meet each other and sometimes fall in love and get married. In the past, girls would arrive at the fair with their dowry on their horses and the marriage was done on the spot by priests who came to mount Gaina for this purpose alone.

Today, the Mount Gaina fair is just a great local celebration, which takes a couple of days of preparation. It starts with the "tulnicarese" group of Avram Iancu, followed by various artistic programmes, which last till night kicks in. Among the dances on Mount Gaina there are the passionate "tropotite" played by mocani or "tarina", a dance for pairs and the most famous of locals, also known as "moti". There are variations of this dance, as, for example, the Abrud tarina is played elegantly and slowly with wide arm movements, lots of walking around and spinning the girl underneath the man's hand. For tourists, the fair is the perfect place to buy unique local products, like musical instruments, wooden vases, ceramic ornaments, wooden tools or clothing items and culinary products.

Varza (cabbage) à la Cluj

Varza à la Cluj is a special type of food specific to Transylvania, almost as popular as the "sarmale" that's made up of minced meat and rice in a pan and then baked in the oven.
Ingredients
1 piece of sauerkraut
1 onion
750 g of pork meat
4 tablespoons of grease
a tea cup full of sour cream
½ tea cup full of rice
salt
black pepper
some dill - optionally
How to cook it
Mince the meat and fry it in a saucepan together with the grease and some onion; smother it down from by adding a spoon of water from time to time
The chopped sauerkraut has to be smothered a little bit ( for about 20 min.) – use the oven and a pan
Boil the rice in salty water for a little bit and then put it in a sieve to take the water out and leave the rice dry and unsticky
Spread a little bit of grease on a saucepan walls and then stretch one layer of sauerkraut, 1 layer of meat and 1 of sour cream. Spread the rice and some salt and black pepper between the cabbage and the meat layers. Repeat this until all the ingredients are over and make sure you put a last layer of sour cream on top of everything.
Put everything in the oven (190 ° C ) for about 30 – 35 min.

Maramures Geography

Summary: The County of Maramureş is one of the northernmost areas of Romania, just south of the Ukrainian border. The modern administrative county of Maramureş is comprised of three “countries” (ţări) and two zones: the Country of Maramureş, the Country of Lăpuş, the Country of Chioar, the Zone of Codru and the Zone of Baia Mare-Baia Sprie. Out of these five, the Country of Maramureş is the largest, covering about one half of the total surface area of the administrative county. To the north is the Ukraine, beyond the natural border formed by the River Tisa. To the east is Suceava county, to the south-southeast Bistriţa-Năsăud county, to the south Cluj.

In 2003, there were 509,534 inhabitants, out of which 52.5% lived in urban environments and 46.5% in rural areas. The capital city of the county is Baia Mare with 137,318 inhabitants, while other municipalities are Sighetu Marmaţiei, Târgu Lăpuş and Cavnic, and towns are Seini, Baia Sprie, Borşa and Vişeu de Sus.

Winters are very long and as Maramureş is surrounded by mountains, it is quite hard to reach it during the cold season: the roads rising to the mountain passes are mostly closed between November and April.It rains a lot in Maramureş, especially along the valley of the Iza River, due to the southwesterly winds that are caught by the ring of high mountains. In the valleys the yearly precipitation is about 790-820 mm, and in the mountains around 1000-1390 mm.

Vişeu is the wettest zone in Maramureş. There are about 140 rainy days in a year, while there are only about 30 days in a year when it snows. The rains are most common at the beginning of spring, as well as during June and September. The month with the heaviest snowfalls is January. The relief of Maramureş is varied, the altitudes ranging from 200 to 2,300 m above sea level. The land is 43% mountains, 30% hills and plateaux, and 27% flatlands and meadows. The views from the hilltops embrace beautiful green valleys, meandering rivers and snowtopped mountain peaks. Mountains surround the Country of Maramureş: the Maramureş Mountains are to the north-northeast, the Prislop Pass to the east, the Rodna Mountains to the southeast, the Țibleş Mountains to the south, the Lăpuş Mountains to the southwest and the Gutâi and Igniş Mountains to the west. It is here that the Eastern Carpathians - the 300 km long natural divide between Moldavia and Transylvania - reach their highest altitude with Mount Pietrosu (2302 m) in the Rodna Mountains. The single easy point of access into the area is around the town of Sighetu Marmaţiei where the valley of River Tisa forms a wide plain.The Gutâi and the Tibleş Mountains form a part of the longest volcanic chain in Europe (600 km long). The volcanoes are no longer active, but it is possible to see astonishing calderas at the height of 1,000-1,830 m.

Two river systems - the Tisa and the Someş - drain the county. To the north, the Tisa drains the rivers that flow down the surrounding mountains and across the Maramureş basin: Vişeu, with its main tributaries Ruscova and Vaser, and Iza with its main tributaries Mara and Cosău. Săpânţa is another branch of the Tisa, situated on the western borders of Maramureş, but worth mentioning for its two waterfalls of more than 12 m high. The Someş drains the rivers in the southern part of the county: Lăpuş and Sălaj. The River Tisa’s sources are in the Ukraine. From its joining with the River Vişeu in the east to the village of Teceu Mic in the west, the Tisa marks the frontier of Romania with the Ukraine. The valley of Tisa from Vişeu to the village of Bocicoiu Mare is so narrow that the railway is hardly able to carve out its path between the mountain and the riverbed. The view from the train is very beautiful, this being one of the most impressive landscapes in Romania.

Maramureş is characterized by its rolling hills. Thick forests of oak, beech and pine cover many of them, while orchards of apple, plum and cherry trees dominate the surroundings of villages. A rich variety of flora thrives in the hills and among the network of rivers and streams that covers the region. The Maramureş Mountains in the north are among the wildest areas in Eastern Europe, and bears, deer, wolves and lynxes live in the virgin beech forests. The mountains are dotted with beautiful landscapes, small lakes, caves and very interesting and rare flora. The Rodna Mountains, the highest not only in the region of Maramureş but in the long ridge of the Eastern Carpathians, are capped with snow all through the year. These mountains are among the best-preserved natural regions in Europe.

In the Rodna National Park is the Pietrosu Mare Biosphere Reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The park preserves untouched ecological systems, with many very rare flora and fauna species, such as Lychnis nivalis, a small flower found nowhere else in the world. Here one can see waterfalls, e.g. Cailor Waterfall, which is over 80 metres high, and more than 20 stunningly beautiful glacier lakes, such as Lakes Iezer and Lala.
From Vişeu de Sus it is possible to go up to the wild mountains in a steam engine train (Mocanița), built in 1953. The tracks run for 41 kilometres along the Vaser River up to hamlet of Comanu, and its lumberjack camps, near the Ukrainian border. The Vaser Valley is also a good location for kayaking enthusiasts. The Maramureş Mountains are in general considered among the best places in the region for hiking, paragliding, mountain climbing, cave exploring or bird-watching and photo-safaris.

Easter - The Most Important Christian Holiday

Easter was first celebrated around 1400 B.C, the day when the Judaists left Egypt with the aid of God, as the Old Testament claims. Since those times, the Judaists celebrate the fact that the Divinity saved them from their Egyptian slavery. This is the old version of Easter, which got a new meaning, when God's son, Jesus Messiah took physical form and sacrificed for the sake of mankind.
This new commitment of the Divinity is not only one made to the Judaists, but to all of the humans that walk the Earth. It is interesting to notice that in the New Testament Jesus and his followers celebrate the new holy day through the Last Supper, as commanded by God. Before 325 B.C., Easter was celebrated on different days of the week, even Saturday or Friday sometimes. In that year the council of Nicaea was organized by the emperor Constantine, who approved the "pascal law", which set the Easter in the first Sunday after the full moon or after the spring equinox.Easter is the most important religious holiday in Romania, as it has not been "tainted" by consumerism as has Christmas. In Bucovina, girls visit the local church's bell tower at Easter Eve and wash it with fresh water. They'll cleanse their faces with that water as soon as the sun rises on Easter day, so they'll be beautiful all year long. There are interesting traditions in Banat too, where at the Easter breakfast, each person around the table gets "pasti" (holy wine and bread). The local Easter dishes also include boiled pig meat, boiled eggs and other traditional food, plus the classic lamb roast.Another beautiful tradition takes place in Maramures, the Lapus area, where the children who are up to 9 years old go to their friends' and neighbours' houses and announce the resurrection of Jesus. The hosts give each child an egg that's been painted red. In the valley of Crisul Alb, in Almas everyone gathers in the church's yard dressed up for holiday and ready to paint and adorn eggs. Easter wouldn't be the same in Arges without the egg bagels, which are called like this because they are cooked using lots of eggs (about 10-15 for each kilo of flour). They're among the local sweets and children go crazy for them.
In Calarasi, people bring the pascal basket to the church right on the Easter Eve in order for the priest to bless the food. Aside from the eggs painted red and bread, people bring white roosters to church. They are bred especially for this occasion, as they are claimed to announce midnight and the revival of Messiah. The luckiest member of the community is the owner of the firs rooster that sings. As in most cultures worldwide, Romanians still keep the Easter bunny ("Iepuras" in Romanian) in their Easter traditions, the little rabbit that runs around and brings gifts to children. This is a pagan ritual that dates from ancient times, when people worshiped the elements of nature and animals, rejoicing as the spring began. Also, the rabbit is the symbol of fertility and vitality and is known for "hiding" coloured eggs that the children must find, a trait of international Easter traditions that wasn't kept in Romania.Among the Christian symbols of Easter there's the cross, that stands for the crucifixion, which is the opposite of ressurrection, but it became the official symbol of Christianity at the Nicaea Council in 325 B.C. In Romania the most important Easter symbol are the eggs painted red, which symbolize revival and the blood of Christ. The lamb is one of the most common dishes at the Romanian table on Easter day and it stands for the victory of life over death. The little animal is sacrificed on this holiday, to symbolize Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind."Pasca" is a dish only baked at Easter time and it has a round shape with a cross in the middle. Also "Pasca" is adorned with dough on the side and when putting it in the oven to bake, each woman must say a prayer and make the cross sign. The legend of Pasca says that Jesus and his followers were visiting a very kind man, who put bread in their travelling bags, without them knowing it. When the followers asked Messiah when the Easter was coming, Jesus said that it will be celebrated when they'll find bread in their bags. Another vital symbol of the ressurrection of Jesus is the candle of Easter Eve, which every believer carries to church and lights from the holy candle held by the priest and given at midnight. Many Christians keep the rest of the candles in their homes, once they burn out and light it when they're in trouble. Passing from Christianity to superstition, it's known that one shouldn't sleep on the Thursday before Easter, else he'll be lazy for one whole year. If a woman is the one sleeping on that day, Joimarita will visit her, this legendary figure making the woman incapable of working for the rest of the year. Also, it is claimed that on Thursday the dead souls visit their old houses, where they dwell till the Saturday before Rusalii. Apart from being the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, Easter is a time when families come together and unlike Christmas, they’re not united by the “give and take” phenomenon that involves gifts, but rather by sharing the joy of the divine sacrifice of Messiah.

Romanian Food

The seasons generally influence the food offered. During summer and autumn markets overflow with fresh vegetables and fruits coming from the local farms.
Radishes, spring onions, potatoes, nettles, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers delight the shoppers in April and May. From the end of May to late September there is a large variety of fruit: cherries, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, plums, pears, melons and watermelons, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, apples, grapes, quinces and nuts.
Beekeeping has always been one of the traditional occupations in Romania, and the products (honey, wax, honeycombs) are also sold on the market.
The best-known dish is sarmale, called also with the diminutive sărmăluţe, (mincemeat wrapped in cabbage or vine leaves) with mămăligă (polenta).
Stews (tocăniţe) made with different kinds of meat (usually chicken and pork) and with vegetables also figure on the restaurant menus, as well as different kinds of soups. Ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup) served with garlic or hot chilli pepper and vinegar is one of the favourites among Romanians.
Pork prepared in different ways is one of the most common ingredients, and all restaurants serve pork chops (cotlet) with French fries and salad.
There are not very many dishes for vegetarians, as Romanians consider a meal without meat very poor indeed. Some dishes are ghiveci (mixed fried vegetables), ardei umpluţi (stuffed peppers, although these might have meat, too) and ouă umplute (filled eggs), besides different kinds of salads and local cheese.
At home, the peasants’ meal almost always contains polenta (mămăligă) that is also known as the “bread of the peasant”. Some centuries ago, when Romania was strictly divided into two social groups, the boyars and the peasants, bread was only eaten by the boyars. Nowadays the situation is different and mămăligă is the traditional dish for everyone, although in towns it is not eaten daily as in the countryside. A traditional combination on farms is mămăligă and smoked pork fat called slănină with garlic, chased with a small glass of ţuică. A dish associated with the life of shepherds on the hills is mămăligă with sheep-milk cheese.

Cabbage rolls ( Sarmale)
1 large soured cabbage, 1 3/4 lb/750 g ground meat (mixture of pork and beef is recommended), 2 large onions, 2 tablespoons rice, 2 tomatoes or 500 mL tomato sauce, salt, pepper, sweet paprika and sour cream (optional).

Grind the meat with a raw onion. Place in a bowl and mix with rice, pepper, salt, paprika, and finely chopped onion. Mix everything well.
Core the cabbage with a sharp thin knife. Carefully remove the cabbage leaves, one by one, so that they do not tear. Cut larger leaves in 2 or 3 and then place a little meat in each cabbage piece and roll in. The smaller the rolls are, the tastier they are.
Place a layer of rolls in the pan (take a deep one), then cover with a layer of chopped (julienned) cabbage and the bay leafs, then a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes. Do this layering until all the rolls are made. The last layer must be tomato slices and add tomato sauce. Then place in the oven so that the liquid is reduced. Serve hot with sour cream.
* When soured cabbage is not available, use cabbage leaves scalded in water.

Romanian Style Polenta (Mamaliga)
1 qt. Water, 1-2 cups corn meal, 2 tsp. salt.

Boil water and salt in a pot. When water is boiling, gradually add corn meal while stirring the mixture with a whisk. Stop adding corn meal when the mixture is considerably thick, though still liquid. Continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, with caution since the mixture bubbles up and splatters hot polenta around.
Remove from the heat and serve hot with your favorite dish.

Paited Eggs - Easter

Orthodox Easter this year is 27-28th April - at the end of next week. So the next entries will be dedicated to Romanian Easter traditions you are probably not familiar with.
Easter is the most important religious celebration in my country. Its traditions go beyond the Christian dogmas, to pagan rituals, myths of creations and symbols of life.
I am not going to talk about the preparations in detail. I give you another gift instead: a legend and Romanian painted eggs.
They say that during the Pesach (the Hebrew Passover) Virgin Mary came to see her crucified son. She carried a basket with eggs, which she laid at the foot of the cross while praying for Christ. His holy blood dropped on the eggs and reddened them, so the Lord said:
From now on you shall paint the eggs in red to remember my crucifixion.
According to this legend, there should be no other colors used to paint the eggs for Easter. But as you know, Christians like to paint eggs in many other colors. No, I wouldn’t say that’s a sin or a blasphemy. The meaning of Easter is preserved, no matter what colors we might choose. In Romania the tradition of decorating eggs is ancestral.
In old times a painted eggs was believed to have magic powers and their preparation involved special rituals. Each color or pattern used to decorate the egg was meant to combat a different for of evil.
Even today Romanians believe that painted eggs bring luck and protect their homes against demons and unholy spirits. The shells of the Easter eggs are blessed, they should not be thrown away, but sprinkled over the soil in gardens to provide for fertility and richer crops.
In some parts of Romania (especially in the North in a region called Maramuresh - where you can also find the Wooden Churches and the Merry Cemetery from Sapanta), newly wedded couples keep painted eggs in their homes as charms to protect their home, bring equilibrium and secure happiness in marriage.
While the Christian symbol of the egg is related to the resurrection of Christ, the primordial meanings are still potted in the motifs, colors and patterns that transform these eggs, as you see, in genuine works of art.
It takes a long time, talent and patience to paint these eggs. First they are emptied of their contents and covered with a thin layer of bee wax. Then the meticulous work can begin. Using special tools like “chisita” women “write” the motifs in vegetal (natural) colors. Each element has a meaning and nothing is left to chance.
A Romanian painted egg tells you a story, if you know how to read it. Among the many stylized motifs you’ll often find the tree of life, the sun and the Star, the cross, the rooster, the snake and oak leaves, waves, spirals and much more. Each egg is unique. Each egg is special.
Now, I don’t know how to paint eggs in such an incredible manner. This art, although not kept a secret, is not taught in schools: it’s a folkloric legacy, carried from generation to generation, flourishing only in some parts of Romania. So what you see above it’s an example of Romanian tradition, and what you see below it’s an example of … what a Romanian living in Germany does to substitute a missing sacred symbol.

'SANZIENELE' - A CELEBRATION OF MIDSUMMER'S DAY

The celebration of Midsummer is especially popular throughout Europe, with festivities beginning on Midsummer Eve which include lighting bonfires, especially on mountaintops, dancing around and leaping over fires, and other ancient customs. It probably originated in ancient times as sun worship, with the fires representing the power of the sun. These bonfires have been thought to have all sorts of magical properties, from driving away of evil, to ensuring health and affecting the weather. Frazer cites substantial evidence that the fires are actually sun charms. As the sun worship was forgotten, the customs remained and the theme of Midsummer became very romantic. There are a number of customs for predicting one's future spouse. A girl who sees nine Midsummer fires will marry before the end of the year, and placing certain flowers under the pillow will give you dreams of your future mate. This is also the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. On Sânziene's night the people pick healing plants and light huge purifying fires.Midsummer Day has a twofold meaning in Romania. One stands for the traditional Midsummer fairies that do a lot of mischief. The other is a reminder of the nice smelling flowers of Lady's Bedstraw. Young girls make wreathes out of them and the boys cross-shaped braids. The flowers are then thrown into the cattle pen. If the wreath gets stuck on an old beast, the future spouse will be elderly. If the animal is young, so will the spouse be. On Midsummer Eve, the lads of Maramures (north-west Romania) go out in the evening holding fire torches which they move around in the sense of the sun in the sky. When the torches are about to go out the young men descend the hills, surround the plots, enter into people's yards and give the torches to their parents to thrust them into the soil of their gardens.On the same day, in Moldavia, Wallachia and Dobruja, two or four maidens, two of them dressed as lads, perform the Wicked Fairy's dance. The girls may be accompanied by a boy who plays the flute or the bagpipe and carries a banner on which colored handkerchiefs, bedstraw flowers, garlic and wheat ears are attached. in some villages, the Wicked Fairies wield scythes and fight among themselves.The initial significance of the custom compares the maidens to ripening wheat. Thus, a transfer of fertility between the two kingdoms, animal and vegetal, is achieved. Sickles that will pull down the plants symbolize the mowing of human lives, as well as the eternal duel between winter and summer, between the good and the evil forces.Sinzienele are bad pixies of the night in Romanian folk tradition. People think these pixies could influence future marriages. Every 24 June, in the Sinziene's night, unmarried girls cut petals of a thistle flower. Then they keep that flower in a glass of water. They say that the faster petals grow back at the thistle she looks after, the bigger her chances are to marry the man she loves.

Midsummer Day

When you've decided to hold on to all that you lost

When you've decided to hold on to all that you lost

All this is nothing if she comes and tears you apart

All this is nothing if you hold the key to her heart

If you've decided to change what you thought was your way

This new way will take you to her and to Midsummer Day

All this is nothing if she comes and tears you apart

All this is nothing if you hold the key to her heart

And I'm cryin' in the night

And I'm waiting for a call

Won't you help me girl tonight

Cos I'm waitin' for a call

And I'm cryin' in the night

And she's thrown from my mind

And the sky is turning black

And I'm running out of time

You'll shed a last tear

If you miss what you thought was your way

This new way will take you to her and to Midsummer Day

All this is nothing if she comes and tears you apart

All this is nothing if you hold the key to my heart

All you are...is in you

All you are...is in you

All you are...is in you

In you in you in you....

ROMANIAN WEDDING TRADITIONS

The wedding is the most interesting family custom of all. It is also a complex custom which has various traditional forms all over the country and combines economic, law, ritual and folkloric elements. The popular "show" is almost fabulous. The acts from the marriage foundation are ritual and ceremonial meant to bring prosperity, fecundity, happiness and social integration to the young family. In this moment the popular costume gains some specific significances and the act of the ceremony is composed from many customs: the well - wishing at the bride's gate, the dowry dance in the bride's yard and the parents forgiveness, then the wedding at the groom's house, the gifts and the bride's adorning.The musical repertoire is suitable: "the dowry dance", "the big dance", "three times around the table", "the bride's grief song", "the bride's ring dance", "and the big ring dance".

MOLDOVA:Moldavian marriage is a bouquet of traditions and culture. People sit together and are served with food and wine. Traditional dances also take place. In Moldova, people speak of "wedding parties" instead of just "weddings,” The wedding ceremony itself isn’t the focus of the festivities; it can be a small, understated event leading up to the wedding party proper, usually an all-night celebration.Wedding ceremonies today are held at "casa mare" or House of happiness. The modern ceremony includes the old wedding custom of bowing to the parents as a token of gratitude and respect. The traditional wedding party is magnificent in its arrangement, and intense from the moral ethical point of view. The singing and dancing continues until the daybreak. At dawn everyone sits down for a minute and the bride is given a child to hold in her arms. According to tradition, the bride will then be sure to have a home full of children. The young husband then leads her to the threshold of their house. But before they step over the threshold the couple is showered with grain - a sign of prosperity.A Moldovian maxim says: "The person who has failed to build a home, to raise a son, to dig a well and to plant a tree has wasted his life". That's why the Moldovian villages are so green, the houses are so beautiful and you can see wells along the streets.

MARAMURES:The wedding in Maramures has a unitary structure and as most important sequences, the asking-in-marriage, the "belief" (engagement) and the wedding. The secondary characters, but with a very important position within the ceremony are the "callers" to the wedding, the bridesmaids, the "socacita" (chief-cook), the "man with the larder", the musicians, the group of the lads and the wedding guests.Taken as a whole, the ceremony is simple. A trustful person of the groom's part is going to the bride to ask her in marriage on the groom's behalf (most of the time he gets an affirmative answer only the third time), then the girl's dowry is discussed and the date of the engagement is set. The way to the wedding and the wedding itself contain many preparations and ritual objects, each one with its own significance. A great deal of attention is paid to the details in dressing, arranging of the table and most of all, the orders and priorities. There will exist, for example, an order for entering and coming out of the church, in serving the wedding guests, etc.The rituals preceding every sequence or level represent the picturesque of the traditions. For example, on the night before the wedding (which is called "the flag evening") the "flagman ", accompanied by a group of lads and musicians goes to the groom's house with the flag. Here they start dancing a certain ritual "flag dance", with the adequate witty couplets.The clothing also deserves a very special attention. The bride will wear a white shirt, white skirt with a white apron over it. Over the shirt she will wear a woolen sleeveless sheepskin coat and a woolen thick fleecy overcoat, tied on the waist with a red belt. The groom's clothing is even simpler: hempen white shirt, the sleeveless woolen sheepskin coat, and the "large pants" (or in winter time the white woolen stretch pants). The body is tied up with a broad belt with six buckles containing the knife, the tobacco, the pipe, the moneybag and other necessary small things. As a last element, in his case he also wears clinkered boots. His only decorative objects are the hand sewn cuffs, a bag over his shoulders, and he sign for being a groom - the white artificial flowers on his chest.Emotional scenes for the relatives are the "forgiving" moments - when the bride and the groom ask for forgiveness from their parents on the account of possible former mistakes.When the groom is going for the bride, the godfather, the "flagman" and a great deal of the wedding guests accompany him. Of all the rituals met with at the wedding ceremony, the most interesting is the one of cleaning the cheeks of the groom and bride by the mother-in-law. As this is the first time she comes to her mother-in-law's house the gestures may be considered as a ritual of acceptance of the bride in the new "house" (the "house" house meaning in the mentality of the peasants in Maramures the family/relatives). After the wedding, the entering of the young woman into the new category of married women implies certain beliefs and practices, like the chopping of a wood piece by one hit with an axe (in order to give birth easily) or the spinning of the wool (in order to be a good status host).

TRANSYLVANIA:The wedding dress of the maidens was a proof that the girls knew to sew and weave, which was a very important condition for marriage. Some garments could also indicate an occupation (the long leather cloak of the shepherds, worn on the shoulders, with the fur on the outside or their hood or the “chimir”, a large belt worn by those who worked in the wood) or the social status (only married women worn kerchiefs).Some garments have a ceremonial role. They are only made on specific occasions. The bride, helped by the girls from the village, was supposed to make the groom’s shirt in a single night. The “plague shirt” also had to be worked entirely in a single night. These clothes are only worn on special moments. At the wedding the most beautiful decorated costume is worn (many times it is especially made for this occasion). In Transylvania there are places where both bride and groom wear wool clothes, no matter the season. The most characteristic elements for the wedding are the bride’s head dress, worn only on that occasion.At the funeral, the deceased is dressed in the wedding clothes, which are especially kept. The practice of weddings includes the moments when young people separate from their social groups. Additionally, there is the separation of the bride from her parents which is followed by her joining the bridegroom's family. Lastly, there is the union of the two young people and the integration of the bride into her new family. (Prior to the marriage is the betrothal which is followed by a long process of acceptance towards the prospective couple by the existing group of those who are already married.) The wedding is a performance with well-established rituals. Poetry, song, dance and ceremonial costumes all have a detailed role in the wedding ceremony. This ceremony begins when the spokesman of the bridegroom comes to the bride's home to woo her. During this time, the best men go throughout the village inviting the relative and friends to the wedding. Then, before the closed gates guarded by the bride's relatives, the bridegroom's best man tells a story. It is the story of a young emperor who gathered a great army and went hunting. While hunting, he saw a fairy and sent his warriors to look for her. Following the fairy's trail, they arrive at the bride's house. They have been told that there is a certain flower in the garden. This flower cannot bear fruit because of the unsuitable soil in which it grows. The warriors came to pick the flower and plant it in the young emperor's garden. There, the soil was known to be good and provide the nutrients enabling the flower to bear fruit. The dress and hairdressing of the bride is also important. She wears a ceremonial costume and flowers in her hair.In the western part of Transylvania, in Bihor, the bridegroom must pass a test of cleverness. He must solve a series of riddles in order to prove that he is able to be part of the married community.The entrance of the bride into the community of married women is marked by a change of her hair style, and the covering of her head with a scarf. The scarf is a symbol of the married women. This ceremony is also accompanied by a song.Just as for a medieval meal, the wedding meal provides an opportunity for singing, dancing and listening to epic hero songs. Dance forms, especially for the young people, are an essential part of the wedding, as well as the birth ceremonies. One dance, called a "hora" marks the decisive moments of the ceremonial. It is a seal of the marriage contract. The above wedding ceremonials in Romania last for three days. The final day ends with a "dance of masks."