The Romanian bear dance tradition
The Bear Dance Tradition
Winter holiday in Romania
Christmas has always been a significant celebration in Romania, regardless of whether you are in a large city or a small town. Beyond the delicious traditional dishes and sweets, the holiday is rich with various religious and pagan traditions.
Carol singing plays an important role, and most of the time, people wear traditional costumes or even animal furs. They walk from house to house through villages, where they sing about the birth of Jesus or dance to symbolically cast out the evil spirits.
-
Meaning of the bear dance tradition
The Bear Dance is a pagan custom, and it’s becoming increasingly popular in the country. This tradition is currently observed around Christmas and New Year's Eve, particularly in the historical region of Moldavia. The group is typically composed of people disguised as bears, bear tamers, whistlers, and drummers, with each member playing a specific role.
The drummers set the beat, which guides the steps of the “bears”. Each rhythm and drumbeat corresponds to a specific choreography. They mimic the movements of the animal in a captivating ritual meant to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity in the year to come.
This performance is structured as a dramatization in which the bear figure walks in circles to the rhythm of the drummers, then rolls down to simulate death, and is finally resurrected at the end. People disguised as bears wear full bear fur and two big red tassels.
Metaphorically, this tradition represents the death and subsequent rebirth of nature. It reproduces the bear’s life cycle across the succession of seasons, positioning the animal as capable of defeating winter and returning to life in the spring.
2. Roma bear trainers “ursari”
Originally, the Roma used to train bears to dance for entertainment or for therapeutic purposes.
Emily Gerard wrote in her novel “The Land beyond the Forest”: “The only animals whose training the gypsy cares to undertake are the horse and the bear. For the first, he entertains a sort of respectful veneration, while the second he regards as an amusing bajazzo (jester in English). He teaches a young bear to dance by placing it on a sheet of heated iron, playing the while on his fiddle a strongly accentuated piece of dance music.
The bear, lifting up its legs alternately to escape the heat, unconsciously observes the time marked by the music. Later on, the heated iron is suppressed when the animal has learnt its lesson, and whenever the Tzigane begins to play on the fiddle, the young bear lifts its legs in regular time to the music.”
Thus, the Roma walked the streets with a tamed bear that performed tricks.
The bear's clumsy movements and grunting, set to music, entertained the spectators, who were willing to pay whatever change they had for the show.
If you are interested to learn more about the history of the Roma people in Romania, you can read our article here.
In old times, bears were also credited with healing powers and were reportedly used as physiotherapists. Patients were apparently taken to be trampled by the animal, as it was believed that the pressure applied by the bear could help straighten bones.
A very famous patient was the American photographer, Lee Miller, who visited Romania in 1938. She was accompanied by the surrealist painter Roland Penrose and the Romanian musicologist Harry Brauner. During this trip, she visited a Roma community known as the "ursari" (bear trainers) to seek a peculiar treatment for fibrositis: a massage from a 300-pound bear.
During the first half of the 20th century, Romanian authorities banned traditional bear dance shows, citing concerns over animal welfare, specifically the hunger and suffering endured by the animals, and characterizing the activity as a form of disguised begging.
Despite these restrictions, the practice persisted periodically in rural areas, small fairs, and cities. Ultimately, the custom of bear dance was adapted to the Romanian Christmas holiday tradition. This adaptation involves a man dressed in a bear fur who imitates the bear's movements. This figure is typically accompanied by an individual known as the "ursar”.
3. Festivals of the Bear dance tradition in Romania
In some mountain valleys of the Carpathian Mountains, the locals gather to perform traditional dances according to the village they are coming from. The main attraction is, as every year, the bear dance, a tradition unique in the world and which is on the waiting list for inclusion in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.
The bear dance tradition is typical for the Neamț county and the Trotuș river Valley, in towns such as Comănești, Dărmănești, Dofteana, Târgu Ocna, etc., on 27, 30-31 December.
There are hundreds of families where all members (from 5 to 70 years old) are part of a pack, acceptance being a great honor for those who aspire to wear a bear fur, as the rules are very strict.
To provide a successful performance, the participants have to rehearse before the winter season comes. The rehearsals usually begin on November 14th, coinciding with the start of the Christmas fasting period.
4. Ethical issues of the bear dance tradition
We need to address the elephant in the room, more specifically: the significant ethical issues surrounding the bear fur costumes worn by participants.
While some use furs made from sheepskin or wear bear-like costumes with festive, decorated masks, the majority of the furs are real bear skins (of around 50kg), often passed down through generations.
Environmental groups have raised concerns regarding this practice, particularly when children are involved, with suspicion that the animal skins may originate from poaching.
Romania offers a beautiful and unique experience for winter travel.
We highly recommend visiting the Christmas Markets organized in major cities such as Bucharest, Sibiu, and Brașov, where you can admire local crafts and taste traditional Romanian dishes.
For a deeper cultural experience, the countryside maintains many typical winter customs, including the unique Bear dance rituals and other long-held traditions.
We would be pleased to help you arrange an opportunity to witness these.
Best selling tours:
Treasures of Romania Tour
Treasures of Romania & Bulgaria Tour
Valentina Marinescu
Travel is my first name. If my passion for traveling involves a bike, it's even better. And if the day ends with a good book and a dry red glass of wine, then I live in a paradise.
Latest posts by Valentina Marinescu
Sharing is caring!