Christmas traditions in Romania: the bear and the goat

According to the old customs of Romania, Christmas carolers wear beautiful costumes but also bells, drums and whips and make noise to ward off evil spirits.

In some regions, we find dances that accompany these songs, such as the Bear or the Goat. If you are lucky enough to be in Moldavia, Bukovina, or Maramures, you may have the opportunity to see the “dance of the Bear”. Young men wear bear costumes, and dance in a ritual that features the death and rebirth of the bear to symbolize the new year.

This ritual would have very ancient origins dating back to the time of the Geto-Dacians who considered the bear to be a sacred animal. In the village of Comanesti, near Bacau, real bear skins are worn. The goat is another colorful festive tradition that usually takes place on Christmas Eve. A man, wearing a multicolored costume representing a goat is accompanied by several singers, will jump and dance trying to scare the guests.