Tradițional și actual în obiceiurile de iarnă din Cajvana, județul Suceava

Abstract

This article presents the customs and traditions of the winter holidays in Cajvana, with references to the transformations that have occurred in the last 50 years, the disappearance of some customs, the renewal of others, and the identification of the causes that have produced these changes. The winter holidays encompass most of the traditions and customs specific to the three major holidays: Christmas, New Year, and Epiphany. The article aims to structure the New Year's traditions and customs in Cajvana into three branches: the popular theater of the “outlaws”; the popular religious theater, which includes the religious drama “Irozii”, and the popular masked theater, which encompasses the customs of “Mascații”, “Jocul Caprei”, and “Căiuții”. The article also presents magical practices/rituals for predicting fate, weather or crops, prosperity, and health specific to this period, which was the richest in this regard. This material is based on data obtained from practitioners or knowledgeable individuals of the customs in the locality of Cajvana, Suceava County.