The Department for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture within the Cultural Centre REDUTA was the organizer of the 7th edition of the "Hungarian Folk Dance Festival Tara Barsei", initiated by the Cultural Association "Apaczai Csere Janos" and the Town Hall of Tarlungeni. The Festival reunited the Hungarian folk dance and music groups from the County and promoted authentic folk costumes and the folk dances and songs so very nicely performed by the young generation.
An ethnic and cultural event
"Each year the host of this ethnic and cultural event is the Town Hall of a commune from the Brasov County. Seven years ago, at its first edition, Tarlungeni was also the host of this Festival when seven dance groups performed. This year, after having been hosted in turn by Apata, Budila, Ormenis, Sacele and Racos, the Festival is back again to the Culture House of Tarlungeni. We are glad that this Festival managed to reunite the folk dance and music groups of the Hungarian community and that we succeeded in increasing their number each year. 24 folk dance groups made up of children, high school and university students and adults participated at this year's edition. There were about 400-430 dancers and fiddlers in all," said Mr. Kiss Iosif, Mayor of Tarlungeni.
Keeping the traditions intact
The event was turned into a real holiday of the Hungarian community from Brasov County and its purpose was to preserve traditional customs. It is also an opportunity for the folk groups to meet and share their experiences.
"I plan to host events that would bring into the light the ethnographic heritage of the areas inhabited by the Hungarian people in Brasov County, in the future too. By that I mean salvage projects for the ethnographic heritage of the interethnic areas from the South-Eastern Transylvania, including parts of rural civilization from Tara Barsei: Tărlungeni, Zizin, Purcăreni and Codlea", said Mayor Mr. Iosif Kiss.
The folk costumes
The folk costumes of the Hungarian people have kept many of the characteristics common to the rest of the ethnographic areas. The Hungarian, as well as the Szekler and the Csango people lived in Brasov County, each preserving specific elements from their costumes which had a unique identity. In time, while keeping its basic structure, the Hungarian traditional costume evolved and survived until the rapid industrial age (1960-1965) from Transylvania.
