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Winter Traditions and Customs in Bukovina
Winter Traditions and Customs in Bukovina
Folk customs and traditions represent an important part of Bukovinas tourist ethnographic
resources, being formed and preserved in the rural areas of the country. They belong to the
very important elements of the folk spiritual culture, being the ones to define, among many
others, the ethnic peculiarities of a folk. They also imprint to the community the rules of
conduct in social life and family, illustrate the deepness of folk philosophy and reflect the
principles of life from all the historical periods. Folk customs and traditions are very important
for acknowledging the historical peculiarities of our folks ethno genesis, the history of
philosophy, aesthetics and ethics of Romanian folk. They fall into four cycles corresponding to
the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter customs, the later being the best
preserved and also the most spectacular.
The customs and practices, the traditions belonging to the cycle of the winter traditions begin
on Saint Nicholas Day (Sannicolae) and end in January, on Saint Johns Day, comprising a
variety of artistic manifestations regarding the literary, musical and choreographic folklore, as
well as the dramatic performances. These also excel through richness and diversity of clothing,
stage props, scenery even stage direction, forming a veritable folk carnival.
After celebrating Christmas and the moments after it, the mystery of the holiday season
continues on the New Year to go through time, introducing the human into another world,
that seems to be governed by hidden forces able to influence the normal course of life,
leading us to the ancient myth, connecting invisible bridges between human and cosmos,
between human and environment, between human and humans. Each of the ceremonies is
to transform mythically the every day life (occupations, crafts, household works etc.), as
well as the important moments in peoples life (birth, marriage, death) in order to
synchronize and harmonize them with the great rhythms of bio cosmos.
The children begin to wander around with plugusorul (a little plow) on New Years
Eve. The children wander around with a miniature plow and get bells, cow bells, whips,
twined whips decorated with wool and tassels.
Epiphany Day
Epiphany Day, marked in the Christian calendar as the day Jesus Christ was baptized, is
the celebration that concludes the cycle of the 14th days of time renewal, days belonging
to the winter holidays. On the Eve of the Epiphany, the aliments not permitted on fasting
days were excluded from the meals, the girls eager to marry even keept the Black Fast.
The priests wander from house to house, in the villages, with the holy cross and holy
water, and the groups of children accompanying them sing in chorus Chiralesa, a
magical hail. In order to welcome the priest, the housewives prepared ritual meals
(crushed and boiled wheat, sweetened with honey, smoked and boiled prunes, minced
maize rolls wrapped in grape leaves etc.).