| EASTER IN BUCOVINA AND MARAMURES 01/04/2010 |
| Last updated: 2010-04-07 14:43 EET |
Both Bukovina and Maramures are the ideal destinations when it comes to discovering traditions and customs, especially around the Christmas and Easter holidays. In the Bukovina region, Easter celebrations start with the traditional Painted Eggs Festival held in Ciocanesti. Now in its 7th year, the festival took place between March the 26th and the 28th. Tourists travelling to the area had the opportunity to meet craftsmen from the region as well as egg painters and folk music singers playing traditional instruments like the trumpet, the horn and the alp horn. One of the country’s main tourist destinations, Bukovina is located in northeastern Romania. Our guest Claudiu Bradatan, the coordinator of the tourist information center of the Suceava County Council, told us more about the tourist activities in the area:
"If I was asked to give some advice to Romanian and foreign visitors to the region, I would tell them that Bukovina is beautiful as a whole and there is no single area I wouldn’t recommend visiting. I would start with the monasteries, 7 of which are on the UNESCO world heritage list, and then travel to the mountains for a more active type of tourism including river-rafting, horseback riding and mountain biking.’’
Rural guesthouses are the ideal accommodation for Easter because it gives you the chance to sample the amazing local cuisine. A staple of the Easter lunch, the pound cake for example is simply delicious in Bukovina. The region was in fact part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for almost 150 years and its influence can be seen in the local dishes. The area is famous for its poppy seed pound cakes, a must every Easter. People also bake nut pound cakes. Here is Claudiu Bradatan, with more on ways to spend your holidays in Bukovina:
“We could design a tourist package which could bring together all types of tourism available in the county of Suceava. Cultural tourism is best catered for. On their first day in Suceava tourists can visit the princely residence, the Bukovina Village Museum, Bukovina’s History Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, hosted by the oldest house in the city, and the Science Museum. There are also two monasteries, St John’s, known as a pilgrimage site, and St George’s. In the following 3 days, visitors can go on a tour of the famous monasteries on the UNESCO cultural heritage list. I would also recommend visitors to make a trip to the mountains. There is a lovely mountainous area in Suceava county which includes the Vatra Dornei resort and the Rarau, Giumalau and Calimani mountains.’’
From Bukovina, we now move on to Maramures, another region extremely popular around Easter thanks to its natural beauty, ethnographic diversity and the hospitality of its people. Maramures has vast areas covered by forests and many fishing and hunting opportunities. Throughout the centuries, forests have provided the raw material for the people of Maramures to the extend that a genuine ”wood civilization” developed in the region. The wooden churches and the imposing wooden gates of the household in Maramures are evidence of this civilization.
Besides wood carving, Maramures is also famous for its weaving tradition. Everything here is homemade, from the basic elements of the traditional costume people wear for church or big holidays, to carpets, handicraft and the famous bedspreads, either white or with black and red stripes. The best way to get acquainted with the traditions and customs of Maramures is to spend a few days in the middle of its inhabitants, especially around Easter. Narcisa Maghiari of the Sighetul Marmatiei Tourist Information Center, told us more:
“Maramures is famous among foreign tourists for the Merry Cemetery in Sapinta, but tourists should know that this village is also home to the Peri Monastery, which is believed to have the tallest wooden church in Europe with its 72-meter high belfry. The Monastery in Barsana is also very popular with tourists. In fact, Maramures has almost 100 wooden churches built by master carpenters.”
Easter traditions have been particularly well-preserved in Maramures. Narcisa Maghiari tells us how the people of this region spend the days leading up to Easter:
“The Passions Week is dedicated entirely to the cleansing of the soul. People go to church for confession and communion, women clean their houses, while men clean the gardens. On this week, the most religious women of the village also clean the church. The Good Friday is a mourning day for traditional communities in Maramures. On this day, women let their hair down and wear a black headscarf.”
Then, on Easter days, people sit down at the table filled with traditional dishes to celebrate the biggest Christian holiday. If you happen to stay at a rural guesthouse, you will have the opportunity to use wooden cutlery beautifully decorated with traditional motifs. These are but a few of the reasons why you should visit Romania for the Easter holidays.
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2010-09-06
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