New Year Romanian traditions

[Seya]

I've always wondered..does anyone else in Europe have anything similar to this?

[Dandelion]

Hmmm... Romanian New Year is way cooler than ours.

[Peterski]

Reminds me of this song by Gang Albanii:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWs8HwDtddQ#t=1m38s

[Seya]

Reminds me of this song by Gang Albanii:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWs8HwDtddQ#t=1m38s

Yeah..they are the same

[Seya]

up

[EuropeanVlachSon]

Yes, you can find traditions like this everywhere in Europe, but in Romania are the best preserved.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

They are strikingly similar to Portuguese Caretos. Is it possible they have any connection?



The Careto tradition is a pre-historical Celtic religious ritual still practiced in some regions of Portugal. Unlike yours, it currently takes place during Carnival and is one of the oldest traditions being practiced in Portugal today.

Caretos are masked young men dressed in suits made of yellow, red, black, blue and green fringe wool quilts, wearing brass, leather or wooden masks and rattles in their belts. They appear in groups from every corner of the village running and shouting excitedly, frightening the people and “robbing” all the wineries.

The main target of these masquerade groups are single young girls, who make them climb to the top of walls and verandas

[EuropeanVlachSon]

Indo-european connections most probably. the goat dance is found everywhere in Europe, the goat is part of Dyonisis cult, and Dyonisis cult is inspired by some thracian cults, probably thracians are inspiride by some old indo-european religions.

[Vldbzh]

And in Sardinia:

[Hruodberht]

In Spain we have the dance of the cucurrumachos in Navalosa than celebrated in february to drive away the maligne spirits of the winter so that the circle of life, that of nature, follow its course.