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Toni Cătălin,
Pogonești, Romania
Toni, aged 16, dons a vibrant goat
costume at the colourful Festival of
Winter Customs in the small village of
Pogonești in northeastern Romania.
Villagers dress up as a goat, called
‘capra’ in Romanian, by wearing a
dazzling, multicoloured costume
adorned with mirrors, tinsel, beads,
tassels, ribbons and bells, and even
some goat or rabbit fur. It also comes
with a wooden head, whose lower jaw
bone is loose so it can clatter and make
plenty of noise. Around Christmastime,
the goat is accompanied by a group
of singers; together they call at every
house in the village and sing and
dance in exchange for money, fruits
and sweets. But as striking as it is, the
costume's main aim is to disguise the
wearer as they set off on their tour of
the village. There are many such winter
festivals all over Romania, mostly in
the regions of Bucovina and Moldova.
ALECSANDRA RALUCA DRĂGOI //
PHOTOGRAPHER
alecsandraralucadragoi.com^
@alecsandraralucadragoiSMART TRAVELLERMay/Jun 2020 15