विवरण
Donning bear costumes from head to toe, performers from the northern regions of Romania took to the streets of Bucharest on Sunday (December 18) for an end-of-year folk festival.
Dressed in various animal costumes, crews of performers danced through the streets to the rhythm of drums and the sound of traditional Romanian whistles. With their chants and dances, the performers are saying goodbye to the old year and are welcoming the new.
The tradition is said to date back to the Middle Ages. Until the mid-twentieth century, Romani people roamed the villages with real bears kept in chains.
Since then, a simple ritual has evolved into a large-scale event with performers dressed up in bear-masked costumes.
Typically staged in villages, the colourful procession of disguised people goes from house to house.