When the heavy snows of the harsh Brasovian winters are gone and spring sun shines again, it is the time for people from Schei, the old district of Brasov, to start celebrating the renewal. Yearly, they have a festival, called “Junii”, (translated it would be ‘The Feast of the Youth’) which stretches over weeks, having it’s climax on the first Sunday after Easter when seven groups of men from the Schei will ride from the mountains and travel around Brasov. They will be carrying with them mace like batons, which are scepters and flags, along with each group having their own special and unique costumes.
Although the origins have been lost, the inhabitants of Schei still live by the traditional and very well established rules. The first Sunday after Easter it is the time to celebrate the new year of the Dacians, the ancestors of the Romanians. It is also the celebration of spring, the renewing of nature and the beginning of new life. The oldest document recorded in which this procession is mentioned is from 26 March 1728 but it is assumed that the celebration already existed in antiquity.
The men riding the horses are the “Junii” (young men) of Brasov from the Schei neighborhood. In all there are seven groups, which is due to the religious belief that God made the world in seven days. Each group comes also from a different quarter in the Schei neighborhood. The costumes of each team differ through color and badges.
The uniqueness of the event comes mainly from the traditional costumes that they wear, some made around the 1730’s. The basic outfit consists of a special pair of trousers, boots, a long white linen shirt with the sleeves garnished with national motifs and a hat. Each group has their own variations on this. The horses are also highly decorated for this celebration, with the harnesses and saddles being draped in all sorts of traditional decoration.