Târgul de Fete de pe Muntele Găina
The ‘Maiden Fair on the Gaina Mountain’ is the oldest and the biggest traditional celebration in Romania, taking place in the Avram Iancu village, in the Apuseni Mountains on the closest Sunday to the Saint Elijah celebration on 20 July. In olden times, this festivity was a gathering of the locals, where family and friends were reunited and it was also a matchmaking festival. The young women came with their parents and their trousseau and, if a match was made, the marriage was celebrated on the spot by the local priest.
Today, Apuseni women start the festival by playing the local instrument tulnic, used for communication between shepherds or to train sheep and dogs. In the village’s centre, there is a local artisans’ market with an exhibition of photos of the locals going about their daily lives. The event is animated by folk shows and a ceremony dedicated to Romania’s national hero Avram Iancu.
Avram Iancu village, Alba County, Romania

Tulnic Players © Photosebia / Shutterstock