The traditional festivals of Maramure

Babes Bolyai University

Kohut Gheorghe

Faculty of Geography
Geography of Tourism, ID (distance learning)

1st year

The traditional festivals of Maramure

Christian holy days and celebrations, kept by the book by the faithful Maramure people
by fasting and prayer, intertwine with the folklore, with rituals, superstition and popular beliefs
and with pastoral traditions frequently accompanied by popular dances. Besides the old traditions
of the New Year, Easter, Christmas and other important religious celebrations, there are also
some traditional laic events organised every year.
Tnjaua de pe Mara Hoteni. A
festival of agrarian customs, held in the
villages of Hoteni, Sat ugatag and Hrniceti.
The whole village, wearing their traditional
costumes, gathers in order to celebrate the
most hardworking man, the one who ploughed
first his field. He is seated on a tilegu (small
carriage) covered with colourful woven carpets
and pulled by several young men. Pairs of
young men carry the (usually) 12 tnje that are
decorated with branches, flowers, white towels
and coloured ribbons.
Village Dance After the 15th of August (the
holy day of Saint Mary), three Sundays in row there
are festivities involving traditional music and dances
in the villages of Breb, Sat ugatag and Hoteni
respectively.
Nevermind Im small, Budeti in this
beautiful village located on Cosu Valley, on the day
of the Whitsun, childrens ensembles from all the areas in the region of Maramure are invited to
sing and dance.
Goulash Festival In August, in Ocna Sugatag, there is a competition between amateurs
and professional chefs for the most tasteful goulash a Hungarian traditional food. The word
goulash in Hungarian means shepherd of cattle. The first recipe explaining how to make this
dish dates back to the XVIII century. Since then, the preparation of goulash didnt suffer major
changes, the ingredients used and their combination remaining the same. After the tasting of the
goulash the winner is announced and people enjoy the traditional drink, horinc.
Festival of winter customs and traditions, Sighetu Marmaiei it takes place every year
since 1968, between Christmas and New Year, on the 27th of December. The event is held in
order to preserve and pass along the specific winter customs and traditions. Alongside
representatives of villages in the whole of Maramure other people who also cherish ancient

habits, coming from other regions (Bistria-Nsud, ara

Oaului, Bucovina, Banat, Dobrogea, Oltenia and also
Ukraine), participate in the festival.