Bear dances in Romania to ward off evil spirits

For an outsider, the sight of bears with large scarlet tassels dancing in a small Romanian town may seem wildly strange. However, for the inhabitants of this place, the arrival of bears is a time to rejoice.

This usually happens between Christmas and New Years. This time, the mystical ceremony involving people in bear skins was captured by New York photographer Diana Zeyneb Alhindavi.

Women and men dressed as bears walk through the streets of the town of Moinesti. They are accompanied by drummers. The dancers have a good time and relax - they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and even kiss. The dance of the bears is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

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Keywords: Bears | Romania | Dancing

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