CHASING SPIRITS
In the tranquil north Romanian city of Comănești, the morning is electrified—not by the usual stillness, but by the booming drumbeats of the band warming up for a significant event. Today marks the Ursul, or Bear Dance Festival, a vibrant ritual symbolizing the cyclical nature of time, a tradition rooted in ancient history.
Every winter, as the New Year approaches in the northeastern Trotus Valley, this festival comes to life. Men and women don bear skins and dance to flutes and percussion, a performance meant to chase away evil spirits and welcome the New Year. The origins of this unique dance trace back to pre-Christian times when gypsies, migrating from India, would entertain with dancing bears, visiting homes to bring luck and protection in exchange for food and drink.
While many villages still honor this custom, Comănești transforms it into a lively parade. Spectators gather along the streets, children playing with colorful horns and indulging in giant cotton candy, eagerly awaiting the parade. Suddenly, enormous bears emerge from old vans, quickly filling the City Hall square. They line up by size, while tamers in red uniforms and black boots guide the procession down the village streets. The bears dance in sync with the rhythmic pan flutes and large tambourines.
The spectacle is intense: the bears mimic real bears, their heavy fur costumes weighing over 40 kilos. Despite months of practice, the dancers strain and sweat inside the skins. The performance unfolds in acts, beginning with tamers playfully whipping the bears. In a central act, the bears feign death, only to be resurrected, symbolizing nature's rebirth.
The final act features colorful characters in vibrant dresses adorned with bells, carrying explosive homemade cannons that create stunning blasts. The noise is deafening, and the air is thick with the scent of Țuică de prune, a local spirit.
As the parade leads to Parcul Central, each troupe performs for judges who evaluate costumes and dancing. This ancient ritual binds the community, celebrating the sacredness of bears in Romanian mythology—creatures believed to govern seasonal changes through their mystic hibernation. The Ursul festival holds a cherished place in the hearts of the people, reflecting a rich tradition that unites them.
