About Junii Brasovului Parade
Every year, on the first Sunday after Easter, the Junii Brasovului Parade takes place.
This ancient custom dates from forgotten times, but the first official mention dates from 1728 and can be seen in a charter from the First Romanian School Musem’s archives from Scheii Brasovului, Junii Brasovului being remembered as an ordinance from the elders.
Julius Teutsch, a saxon historian from Brasov, said that “they have to be regarded as pagan era leftovers, an ancient spring celebration that celebrates nature’s revival, the sun’s victory over the winter cold, the beginning of new life and the celebration must be considered a pre-christian religious cult, also confirmed by the fact that it always heppend on the hills, a custom known from the time of the dacians.”
Junii are separated into 7 groups: Tinerii (The youth), Bătrânii (The elders), Curcanii (The turkeys), Dorobanții, Brașovechenii, Roșiorii (The reds) and Albiorii (The whites). Each group wears specific traditional clothes. Also the horses harness are chosen according to the group it belongs to.
Headed by the military band, the seven groups from the Union Square and go to the city center after which they return to the Union Square and continue to Solomon’s Rocks.
Once they get to Solomon’s Rocks, they take theirs seats at the tables and start the party by dancing and throwing the mace on their famous song “Hora junilor”.