PAPI Luncaviţa becomes a production house for movies showcasing local traditions
19.01.2012
| DVDs created by PAPI Luncaviţa (in Tulcea County) were publicly launched during the Moșoaielor feast, in front of an audience of 10,000 people. The DVDs present, through songs and carols, this tradition of Dobrogea. The celebrations started on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day, and ended during the Epiphany, on January 6th. |
The PAPI centre in Luncavița promotes local traditions; the DVDs it created about the Moșoaielor Feast have reached all corners of Europe, where people from the village are working to build a future for themselves. „In Luncavița we pay great attention to the feast of Moșoaiele; together with the Lime Tree Feast at the beginning of summer they represent the main axis of traditions in Luncavița. At PAPI we take care of promoting the events, creating posters, objects which have these brands inscribed and which we offer to the attending public”, RECL manager Marian Ilie explains. The name „Moșoi” comes from „moș”, the Romanian name for an elderly man, including gift-giving St. Nicholas and Santa Claus.
According to him, there are people returning to Luncavița from their jobs abroad especially for this event. “Years ago, these traditions were in peril of disappearing, but through the care of PAPI, mayor Stefan Ilie, the Simion Leonescu School Group, they were reborn. These year we offered spectators at least 130-140 DVDs with videos of carols and songs”, Luncaviţa RECL manager Marian Ilie.
A tradition called „Moșoaie”
On the eve of St Nicholas, the streets of the Luncavița and Rachelu villages start to crowd with „moșoi” and „moșocuițe”, the names for „moș” men and women participants. The men have large bells, face masks, stag or ram horns, fox skins and large woolen coats. The women wear small bells, face masks from rabbit skin, deer horn andd short coats. Each evening, until late, their bells can be heard. During this time, groups are formed and people repeat their songs at each home in the village.
On Christmas Eve, the men and women go on parade in the commune’s centre. Groups announce the City Hall and get included in a show taking place on the stage in the commune’s centre. Then, again, they go carolling in the two villages until January 6th, when, after a horce race, the men carol until late at night. The Christmas Eve parade is attended by thousands, including those who work abroad or elsewhere in Romania and return for this special day.
“The event on Christmas eve gathered some 10,000 in the centre of Luncavita, where the scene was set. We’ve had groups from our area and nearby localities, including Isaccea, Revărsarea and, for the first time, those from Văcăreni with a great show of carols. The Ghiocelul ensemble from Luncaviţa took to the stage and their popular dance created the necessary atmosphere for the Moșoi to come; these Moșoi are simply the image of people from Luncavița in winter”, the RECL manager says.
According to tradition, Moșoaiele are forces of nature preparing the village for the winter holidays, by frightening away the ghosts and bad spirits through the sounds of bells everyone wears. The „Moșoi” are men, with large bells, while „moșoicuțele” are the women, wearing smaller bells and accompanying carollers from home to home.
A representative ensemble and tradition for Dobrogea
Showcasing local traditions is part of the local administration’s strategy to develop agritourism. PAPI wrote two projects submitted for financing from the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. One aims to buy costumes for the local folkloric ensemble „Ghiocelul” in Luncavița, while the second is meant to buy musical instruments for the Partizanul Association, an entity which includes the Mosoaiele ensemble.
“We want to buy musical instruments for the children already studying with a team of teacher from the Ballads of the Delta”, the RECL manager says.
The projects are based on very good results achieved so far in showcasing and promoting local traditions. “Moșoaiele is the only caroler’s ensemble in Dobrogea which has represented Romania internationally, by participating in shows in Strasbourg and with appereanced at TVR, TVR Cultural, Pro TV and Antena 1. It’s a very well-known ensemble, representative for Dobrogea and for us as well, since it’s a symbol of our locality, together with our summer feast”, Marian Ilie says.
PAPI, always promoting local events
For the RECL manager and the IT admin, showcasing local traditions and other events in the life of the community is permanent; PAPI got a professional video camera so that it can make video productions in-house. “The winter holidays end on the Epiphany, January 6th, when we get the commune ready for a new, clean, year of work. We take down decorations in the park. At PAPI we prepare for the Epiphany by promoting it, taking care of the necessary info and photos. Now we have a professional camera so we don’t need external companies, we make the movies ourselves and offer them to the library, in a sufficient number of copies so that children can use them as a resource in various papers, articles and projects”, the RECL manager says.
Online resources:
Traditional bee at PAPI Letca Nouă
Old traditions come back to life in Mărișel
Traditional weaving workshops, revived
Keywords: LuncaviţaTulcealocal traditionspromotionMoşoaielecarollerspopular traditionsPAPI services