Hoghiz: History, tradition, nature
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Hoghiz commune is located in the Central-Northern part of Brasov County, in Rupea region. It is made up of villages: Bogata Olteana, Cuciulata, Dopca, Fantana, Hoghiz (residence) and Lupsa.
Ioan Buta, the Mayor of Hoghiz commune declared: „Here the customs and traditions are sacredly transmitted from father to son also nowadays. The most important are:
Custom Ceata
In villages Hoghiz and Fantana, in Christmas Eve there is this specific custom „Ceata” – boys dressed in traditional costumes are carol-singing in people’s houses.
Custom Turca and Irozii
In Cuciulata, the sons of the village, dressed in traditional costumes go carol-singing with “Turca”. Here also, children, dressed as various characters enact the play “Irozii”. Irozii is a play, where the actors are students, dressed as theatre characters, representing Jesus birth.
Custom Plugarul
In Cuciulata locality, „Plugarul”, an old spring folkloric custom signifies the beginning of the agricultural works. It is being organized by the sons of the village and the most hard-working son of the village is being celebrated, the second Easter day.
The boys dressed in specific traditional popular costumes are going to the river, in the middle of the village, and they are saying a prayer to have an abundant year.
Custom Balul Strugurilor
„Balul Strugurilor” is organized in Hoghiz in the autumn. Boys and girls, wearing the traditional popular costumes, are going around the village riding horses and in horse-drawn carriages, with musicians, singing and inviting people to come to the ball. The Community Centre, where the ball is organized, is decorated with bunches of grapes, signifying the beginning of the harvest of already ripe grapes.
Recreational activities
Horse-drawn carriage or sleigh rides can be taken from Dopca to Cheile Dopcii and Valea Lupsei. People can take boat rides on Olt River or they can go fishing. Considering the abundance of the natural resources and the diversity of the fauna, tourists can also go photo-hunting and bird-watching”.
Ileana Gafton DRAGOS
