DRAGAICA SANZIENELE

 Holiday Dragaica or Sanzienele is an old Romanian holiday,celebrations are held on June 24, St. John the Baptist's birthday. Is the day when we celebrate harvest, vegetation and land fertility.  On this day, the girls gather flowers "Sânziene", small flowers golden yellow, nice smelling, they are gathering in bouquets and wreaths that are placed on doors, gates, windows and household to protect the house from evil forces, to bring health to people, wealth and luck.

Drăgaica is celebrated by a dance done by a group of girls ,depending on the geographical area, one of these is chosen as Drăgaică. She is dressed as a bride adorned with ears of wheat and while other girls are wearing white dresses and a face veil with flowers attached. They take a scythe in hand. The procession goes through the village and the fields. At stops, especially at crossroads, girls sit in a circle, singing and running a dance which movements draw a cross.

 In other places of the country, the "Dragaicas" are little girls of 11 to 12 years old, adorned with ears of corn. One of them is dressed as a bride and another one is dressed as a boy named "Draganu". Sometimes Draganu is a boy. He holds the banner of the "Dragaicas": a pole with a rag-doll with outstretched arms, made of ears of corn or of a bunch of ears and with wormwood and garlic at its top.  The "Dragaicas" sing and dance in a circle without holding hands. At intervals they whirl round and yell and the Dragan, the boy, whistles on an ordinary whistle. Wishing to amplify the performance, the little girls have added to the original ritual dance other dances borrowed from the grown up dancer. A flute- player or a piper who accompany them plays the music

Elsewhere this is called Sanziene's Day celebration. Sânziană -flower which usually blooms during the ritual. If flowers are not blooming, it is bad sign, it means that something something perturbated the progress of the year,or that people upset Sânzienele, some good fairies flying through the air at night, especially during the night of their holiday. It's fascinating, however, that Sânzienele are so generous (give chance to have health) and threatening (if Sanziene are upset, people become ill). The girls pick flowers white or yellow (even called "Sanziene") and intertwined in their crowns and belts that are worn over day and night, then are allowed to dry for medicines and cosmetics. Plus that, by the way in which dry, or fall, they announce who will be lucky throughout the year, who will marry, or who will die.

In villages near Codlea, Sanzienele tell their story: In the morning I woke up, in the song of the songs, at the beginning of dawns in the smell of the flowers go sun, come moon may Sanzienele have good heart their flower grow – yellow and scented flower

Sânzienelor evening may not begin until the top of a high hill turns in "fire" It is a sign that allows ignition fire at the place where people are gathered to celebrate Meanwhile boys comes down the hill with torches lit and put them in the ground

At the same time we celebrate Mosii (old men) when we offer the first fruit and vegetable from our gardens - in memory of a vanished: "Ancestors, you rest in peace, that we gave alms" - are verses said like a ritual.

Finally the river is filled with floating lights in memory of a lost person or to fulfill a desire….

SANZIENE FOR YOU, OUR FRIENDS