The Vrancea County Council, through the Vrancea Cultural Center in partnership with the Țara Vrancei Folklore Ensemble, organizes on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., at the Balada Hall in Focșani, the XXIII edition of the National Winter Customs and Traditions Festival.
The event promotes the knowledge and valorization of the heritage of customs and traditions preserved over time and practiced on the occasion of the Christmas and New Year holidays, in all ethno-folkloric areas of the country.

The jury includes personalities from the ethno-folkloric and radio-television fields:
- President of the jury – Valentin Marin, ethnomusicologist, manager of Radio România Antena Satelor;
- Member – Prof. univ. dr., ethnologist Doina Ișfănoni – historian and art theorist, member of the National Council for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage;
- Member – Dr. Aurelia Cosma – Scientific researcher gr I, ethnologist at the Dimitrie Gusti Village Museum in Bucharest, cultural anthropologist, Honorary Citizen of the Municipality of Focsani.

The festival presenter is the beloved actor Sorin Francu, manager of the Mr. Gh. Pastia Municipal Theater in Focsani.

The beauty of the costumes, the shouts and the ugliness will be highlighted by competitors from four counties of the country: Tulcea, Suceava, Vaslui and Vrancea.

The ensembles participating in the festival are:
- Poienița Ensemble from Poiana Stampei, Suceava County;
- Moșoaele Ensemble from Luncavița, Tulcea County;
- Datina Group from Deleni, Vaslui County;
- Vornicii Ensemble from Păulești, Vrancea County;
- Chindia Ensemble from Jitia, Vrancea County;
- Sânzienele Ensemble from Dumitrești, Vrancea County;
- Rapsodia Vultureană Ensemble from Vulturu, Vrancea County;
- Păltineanca Ensemble from Paltin, Vrancea County;
- Chipărușul Ensemble from Nereju, Vrancea County.

Admission to the performance hall is free! We cordially invite lovers of traditions and folklore to support the young and old competitors from all localities, who will bring a part of their soul and the joy of the winter holidays to the stage of the Balada Hall!

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