site.btaBulgarian Folklore, Lifestyle Presented at Festival in Moldova

The Rodolyubie professional ensemble for Bulgarian folk songs and dances and the Stepan Tanov House of Culture from the Taraclia region presented the traditions and customs of the Bessarabian Bulgarians at the 2023 edition of the IA MANIA festival in the Holercani village in Moldova, which took place on July 1.

The artists showed the audience the whole palette of colors of the Bulgarian folk costume, traditional melodies and dances. This was the first participation of the representatives of the Bulgarian minority from the Taraclia region in the event, which is being held in Moldova annually since 2013.

The K Lumea non-governmental organization, organizer of the festival, said it wanted to make people fall in love with traditional motifs and to appreciate the work of local artisans. "Our goal is to infect Moldovans with the love of local dishes – from local products, from small local producers. For nine years we have been gathering on the banks of the Dniester [river] dozens of artisans, locals with their traditional dishes, dancers, young designers and artists", the organizers also said.

Ethnic communities of Moldovans, Romanians, Ukrainians, Roma, Gagauz, as well as Bulgarians from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, took part in the 2023 edition of the festival. The symbol of the IA MANIA event of the national Moldovan shirt was the firebird.

Moldova is a multinational country, where representatives of about 40 ethnic groups live.