National Festival of Winter Traditions “Start the Plow, Fine Fellows!” (Vatra Dornei)Festivalul Național de Datini și Obiceiuri de Iarnă "Porniți plugul, Feți Frumoși!"

The Vatra Dornei Winter Customs Festival (called "Porniți plugul, Feți Frumoși!") is an annual town celebration of traditional New Year customs. On Dec 28–29 each year, costumed groups of local carolers and masked dancers parade through the town center 1 2. The event features ritual performances like the bear dance ("ursul") and goat dance, folk music and caroling, drawing thousands of locals and visitors 2 3.

In Bucovina, winter holidays are marked by age-old folk rituals. The festival brings together the region’s carolers and "urători" (masked revelers) to perform customs such as the plugging of the plow and the purification dances (bear, goat, etc.). These customs symbolize fertility and ward off evil for the coming year. It is organized by the local municipality and cultural foundation to keep the community traditions alive. 1 2