Ursos de Ano Novo 2025-2026 em Roménia

Na véspera de Ano Novo, as ruas nevadas das cidades romenas vêem um espetáculo incrível: centenas de pessoas vestidas de peles de urso dançam e roem aos sons de bateristas e panpipes, afastando todos os espíritos malignos. Um babushka assustador lidera a procissão mística carregando um filhote de urso todo o caminho. A dança dos ursos culmina com a morte e ressurreição simbólicas. Os ritos de regeneração simbolizam que a primavera virá em breve.

Os chamados festivais Ursul acontecem em todo o país. No entanto, a tradição deriva do vale de Trotus, nomeadamente de Comănești, Condado de Bacău. A cidade ainda é considerada um dos melhores lugares para experimentar a celebração. Comănești fica a 300 km ao norte da capital da Roménia Bucareste.

The bear skins worn by the dancers, which can weigh up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds), are cherished heirlooms passed down through generations. Each group carefully preserves the techniques they use to maintain the furs, ensuring they remain in excellent condition and ready for the next year's festival.

In ancient Romania, the bear was revered as a sacred animal, and the tradition of bear dancing is thought to have begun centuries ago among the Roma people. They would visit villages with live bears on leashes, performing dances to drive away the bad spirits of the old year. However, bear dancing was banned during the communist era and was officially outlawed in 1998. When Romania joined the European Union in 2007, the remaining dancing bears were purchased from their owners and relocated to a bear sanctuary in the Rila Mountains. Nevertheless, the tradition endures through the Bear Dance Festival in Comănești, where the spirit of this ancient custom is kept alive.

The so-called Ursul festivals take place all across the country. However, the tradition stems from the Trotus Valley, namely from Comăneşti, Bacău County. The town is still considered one of the best places to experience the celebration. Comăneşti is roughly 190 mi (300 km) north of Romania's capital Bucharest.