New Year Traditions

New Year Traditions

New Year's Eve Tradition in Moldova

“Plow wishing”. In Moldova (both the Republic of Moldova and the rest of Moldova that is part of Romania, as well as in Bucovina) on New Year's Eve, groups of young unmarried and recently married men go "with the Plow" - ancient agrarian custom derived from an ancient practice, passed through the stage of a fertility rite, has become a common wish for rich harvests in the year to come. The Plow wishing is in fact a real poem opening with a holy gift, using fabulous elements, all agricultural activities. The custom contributes to the general joy of the New Year's festiveties, coloring them with the elements illustrating one of the main occupations of our people

“The Capra dance”. Another tradition is the Capra (goat) dance. With the Romanians, the goat was believed to be the animal that could show if the weather was to be fine or foul. Most certainly at first the "capra" dance (the killing, the mourning, the burial, and the resurrection) was a solemn ceremony, a part of the cult. As part of the agrarian festivities the dance has become a ritual designed to bring fertility in the year to come, an increase in the number of animals in the shepherds’ flocks, bumper crops. The "capra" was generalized all over the country by the end of the 19th century and was considered a pagan dance, a lot of members of the clergy refused to receive the procession in their houses, considering it „forbidden by the Christian religion". Nowadays the dance is only a pretext for one of the traditional artistic events, an opportunity for displaying beautiful ornaments, carpets, towels, and so on, all in bright colors, to cheer up the householders and to express best wishes in the New Year.