Maramures Events Calendar for 2016

This year Maramures will host several important events and festivals. Please note that dates may be subject to change.

“St. George in Village Museum”: April 23, Sighetu Marmatiei’s Village Museum. Traditionally dressed participants from several villages will perform folk music and dance.

The Orthodox Easter: May Day. Everywhere.  People are  going to church dressed in traditional costumes for the midnight (or early morning) Mass, taking with them baskets covered with towels adorned with flowers containing red painted eggs, “pasca” (a sweet home-made bread), wine and braised lamb, brought to be blessed by priest.

“Tanjaua” from Hoteni: May 8. The villagers wearing their traditional clothes, celebrate the most hardworking man (the one who ploughed first his field). He is seated on a small carriage pulled by pairs of young men, who take on the role of oxen, raising the decorated yokes and pulling the train out to the river. Folk music, dance and costumes, food and drink.

Budesti and Valeni villages Orthodox Pentecost festivals: June 20.  Solemn processions around the village, with banners and holy icons ahead, in order to bless the fields and crops.  

Barsana Monastery Patron Saint Day: June 30. Thousands of worshipers  are going to the best known Maramures monastery.

The Day of Dragomireşti's Monastery’s Patron Saint: July 20. Pilgrimage at the monastery and its "miracle-working" icon.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Moisei Monastery: August 15. The oldest and most important orthodox pilgrimage from Maramures.

“Dance at Prislop”, held on Prislop Pass (1416 m altitude), near Borsa town: August 21. One of the most important Maramures's folk festivals, thousands of participants from Maramures, Suceava and Bistrita Nasaud counties.

Second half of August: festivals in Sighetu Marmatiei, Viseu de Sus, Rozavlea, Sieu, Sapanta, Ieud, Rona de Jos and other places.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: September 8. The Patron Saint for Ieud-Deal (UNESCO site), Calinesti-Josani and Harnicesti wooden churches.

St. Parascheva Day: October 14. The Patron Saint Day for Deseşti and Poienile Izei UNESCO wooden churches. Good moment to see folk costumes.

All Saints' Day: around November 1.Everywhere. People bring flowers to cemeteries, lighting candles on the graves, eating, drinking and offering food to the poor. Held in all the towns and villages (date can vary from village to village, from October 26 untill November 8).

Saint Nicholas Day: December 6. The Patron Saint of Budesti Josani (UNESCO site) and Budesti  Susani, Bogdan Voda, Glod, Feresti and Cornesti wooden churches.

“Marmatia” Winter Customs Festival, Sighetu Marmatiei: December 27. An important and 45 years old festival . Big carnival parade: hundreds of costumed and noisy masked people (“devils”)  from Maramures villages and other regions, horses and children singing Carols and performing traditional and colourful winter plays.

For more info, please contact us.