When the heavy snows of the harsh Brasovian
winters are gone and spring sun shines again, it is the time
for people from Schei,
the old district of Brasov, to start celebrating the renewal.
Yearly, they have a festival, called "Junii", (translated
it would be 'The Feast of the Youth') which stretches over
weeks, having it's climax on the first Sunday after Easter
when seven
groups of men from the Schei will ride from the mountains and
travel around Brasov. They will be carrying with them mace
like
batons, which are scepters and flags, along with each group
having their own special and unique costumes.
Although the origins have been lost, the
inhabitants of Schei still live by the traditional and very
well established rules.
The first Sunday after Easter it is the time to celebrate the
new year of the Dacians, the ancestors of the Romanians. It
is also the celebration of spring, the renewing of nature and
the
beginning of new life. The oldest document recorded in which
this procession is mentioned is from 26 March 1728
but it is assumed that the celebration already existed in antiquity.
The
men riding the horses are the "Junii" (young
men) of Brasov from the Schei neighborhood. In all there
are seven
groups, which is due to the religious belief that God made
the world in seven days. Each group comes also from a different
quarter in the Schei neighborhood. The costumes of each
team differ through color and badges. The
leader of ceremonies wears a shirt adorned with 40000 colorful
spangles, weighing
20 lbs. The first group are the Junii Tineri (the younger
unmarried men), the flags that this group carries has the
image of the Saguna college on one side and a mounted June
on the other side. The hats that they wear have a three
colored
band. The second group are the Junii Batrani (the older
younger married men), this group precedes the Junii Tineri
who got
married. The Third group is the Junii Curcani (the Turkey
youths), this group's flag holds the Mihai Viteazu's (the
first king who united the three Romanian provinces) countenance.
They are more recognizable with the fact that they wear
black fur caps with a turkey feather. The fourth group
is the Junii
Dorobanti (nation of soldiers); this group's flag holds
the image of a mounted June and the bugler soldier, while
the
Junii themselves wear gray fur caps. The fifth group is
the Junii Brasovecheni (the older Brasovians or the Junii
of
the old city), the flag holds Al. I. Cuza's image (first
modern Romanian ruler), and they wear black caps with a
top. The sixth group is the Junii Rosiori (the red young
men or
the horseman Junii), who wear a picked cap with a red tuft.
And the last group is the Junii Albiori (the young whites
or whitish Junii), who wear white fur caps and have the
same flag as the Junii Brasovecheni.
The uniqueness of the event comes mainly from the traditional
costumes that they wear, some made around the 1730's. The
basic outfit consists of a special pair
of trousers, boots, a long white linen shirt with the sleeves garnished with
national motifs and a hat. Each group has their own variations on this. The
horses are also highly decorated for this celebration,
with the harnesses and saddles
being draped in all sorts of traditional decorations. The Romanian flag also
plays a big part in the occasion. Traditional Romanian songs are sung and dances
danced. Young men are then placed, one by one, in the middle of the dancers
and throw the scepter in the air, while everyone runs for
cover. This custom is considered
a kind of initiation ritual, when the boys are supposed to pass some tests
of maturity and bravery. Whoever throws the scepter highest
in the air wins the
competition. After the ritual ends, if the weather is good, the Junii and their
families will have a barbecue with traditional music and the Romanian hamburger
called "mic".
The
whole feast takes place over a week. Monday involves getting
everything
ready, where they gather to the leader, collect
painted eggs and have a party. They all meet on Tuesday
at noon and have a feast in the square, after which they throw
the scepter-like mace into the air, which is followed by
eating and drinking: another party basically. Wednesday
is
the climax to the feast, although nowadays it has no significance.
On Thursday everybody goes to the leader, where they perform
the "Ingroparea Vatafului". This ritual has been
preserved from the tribes of the Dacians, more than 2000
years ago. The tradition involves tying the leader onto a
ladder and then carrying him around while a priest gives
the funeral rituals. In order for the leader to be let down,
he has to promise a large quantity of wine to the group.
Another tradition is "aruncarea in tol". This is
where up to ten Junii hold a blanket and toss a new June
into the air, which is meant as an initiation into the group.
In the beginning it was only the young men who were tossed.
One other ritual, "Junite" (Woman of the Junii),
is also a strange one, in which the women only play a small
part in the ceremony and it only happens on the Monday.
The Junii approach the women where they then receive eggs
dyed
red from them. After each of the Junii has received his
red egg, he sprays the woman with perfume. On Friday and
Saturday
the Junii prepare for Sunday, with possible behind the
scenes partying. The most important day is Sunday, when,
in the
morning, all the groups prepare their suits and embellish
the horses,
they then gather in front of the St. Nicholas church in
the order:
1. Tineri (the younger unmarried men)
2. Batrani (the older younger married men)
3. Curcani (the Turkey youths)
4. Dorobanti (soldiers)
5. Brasovecheni (the older Brasovians or the Junii of the old city)
6. Rosiori (the red young men or the horseman Junii)
7. Albiori (the young whites or whitish Junii)
The whole procession is opened by a marching orchestra, and heads from the
church to the Muresenilor St, then to the Balcescu St and through the Schei
gate and onward to the Pietrele lui Solomon, where the parade ends. The day
is then full of games and more partying. The evening ends with all going to
Casa Sfatului and making a circle around the house, after which everybody just
goes home.
The Junii Brasovului festival is an ancient tradition. In
true Romanian spirit, where traditions live on, the festival
has multiplied and it is now an occasion to be marked on
all Brasovians' calendars.
The
leader of ceremonies wears a shirt adorned with 40000 colorful
spangles, weighing
20 lbs. The first group are the Junii Tineri (the younger
unmarried men), the flags that this group carries has the
image of the Saguna college on one side and a mounted June
on the other side. The hats that they wear have a three
colored
band. The second group are the Junii Batrani (the older
younger married men), this group precedes the Junii Tineri
who got
married. The Third group is the Junii Curcani (the Turkey
youths), this group's flag holds the Mihai Viteazu's (the
first king who united the three Romanian provinces) countenance.
They are more recognizable with the fact that they wear
black fur caps with a turkey feather. The fourth group
is the Junii
Dorobanti (nation of soldiers); this group's flag holds
the image of a mounted June and the bugler soldier, while
the
Junii themselves wear gray fur caps. The fifth group is
the Junii Brasovecheni (the older Brasovians or the Junii
of
the old city), the flag holds Al. I. Cuza's image (first
modern Romanian ruler), and they wear black caps with a
top. The sixth group is the Junii Rosiori (the red young
men or
the horseman Junii), who wear a picked cap with a red tuft.
And the last group is the Junii Albiori (the young whites
or whitish Junii), who wear white fur caps and have the
same flag as the Junii Brasovecheni.
The
whole feast takes place over a week. Monday involves getting
everything
ready, where they gather to the leader, collect
painted eggs and have a party. They all meet on Tuesday
at noon and have a feast in the square, after which they throw
the scepter-like mace into the air, which is followed by
eating and drinking: another party basically. Wednesday
is
the climax to the feast, although nowadays it has no significance.
On Thursday everybody goes to the leader, where they perform
the "Ingroparea Vatafului". This ritual has been
preserved from the tribes of the Dacians, more than 2000
years ago. The tradition involves tying the leader onto a
ladder and then carrying him around while a priest gives
the funeral rituals. In order for the leader to be let down,
he has to promise a large quantity of wine to the group.
Another tradition is "aruncarea in tol". This is
where up to ten Junii hold a blanket and toss a new June
into the air, which is meant as an initiation into the group.
In the beginning it was only the young men who were tossed.
One other ritual, "Junite" (Woman of the Junii),
is also a strange one, in which the women only play a small
part in the ceremony and it only happens on the Monday.
The Junii approach the women where they then receive eggs
dyed
red from them. After each of the Junii has received his
red egg, he sprays the woman with perfume. On Friday and
Saturday
the Junii prepare for Sunday, with possible behind the
scenes partying. The most important day is Sunday, when,
in the
morning, all the groups prepare their suits and embellish
the horses,
they then gather in front of the St. Nicholas church in
the order: 
1. Tineri (the younger unmarried men)