The inhabitants of Prejmer conserve the memory of an ancient costume called Fasching that the German community used to organize on Shrovetide, according to the evangelic church calendar. After 20 years, the charm of the feast is intact.
The Triumph of Light
The Fasching has a very ancient origin; it marks the passage from winter to spring, symbolizing the chasing up of the dark’s spirits and the triumph of light. The village’s streets are crossed by ,,The Pancakes Caravan”, a procession of carts and masked riders.
The masked people sing, dance and play laughing sketches, accompanied by trumpets and harmonicas. A traditional kitchen is set up in one of the carts; the youths cook pancakes they offer the people, as an invitation to the fancy ball. On Friday evening, on the party’s eve, the youths gather to confection masks and frippery for the carts and horse in the caravan.
The Pancakes Jury
Two boys disguised as cookies and abundantly made-up cook plenty of pancakes, while people around them dance and sing. The fancy Ball evening is a real feast, a moment of joy and cheer for local people, guests and tourists with raffles, contests, dances and masks parades. A jury always has the difficult mission to choose the best pancakes among the hundreds cooked in Prejmer.
Involving the Community
Serban Todorica, the mayor of Prejmer, is happy to see revived the Fasching tradition, after 15 years of absence. ,,The Pancakes Caravan is always a great occasion to promote rural tourism, to inspire and involve the community in conserving the local traditions”.
