Paştile în folclorul maramureşean

"Easter in the Maramureş folklore Based on direct field investigations, our research is meant to investigate the repertoire rich in traditions, customs, beliefs and superstitions, most of which make up the pre-Christian background of this religious feast day. We dedicated the first part to the preparatory acts of this feast day, giving priority to important traditions and customs due to their age: ritual sweeping, ritual lamb sacrifice, the Holy Thursday custom “piezărit”, and then to broadly approach the eggs’ painting and decorating. Following the fusion of the repertoire of pre-Christian and Christian traditions, we dedicated due space to the use of red and decorated eggs in the feast day ceremony, and we also reserved an extended space for the traditions of using eggshells and egg-reddening legends. We have permanently paid attention to pre-Christian customs performed on this feast day, such as ritual fires, customs and traditions related to the cult of the dead. We have extensively approached the custom of the Easter forefathers, in the Land of Lăpuş, which is individualized as compared to other country areas by its novelty, complexity and ethnographic elements, at Easter taking place during two days. I have reviewed the rich repertoire of beliefs and superstitions and I have treated traditions related to premonitions and folk medicine. In our research, we have dedicated an extended space to customs and traditions that take place on the second day of this religious feast day, completing its rich pre-Christian background: girls’ watering, boys’ dance, but the emphasis falls on the custom of celebrating the most diligent housekeeper, the first one to plow, in the versions from Şurdeşti and Cufoaia, which include sequences with unique ceremonial acts and rituals. Keywords: Easter eggs, Maramureș, feast day ceremony, customs "