The Hodaita Painting
100x160cm, acrylics on canvas
The custom of Hodaița was born a long, long time ago; due to the lack of calendars, it announced the entry into the Easter Lent. On this occasion, all that was bad was burned (the purifying role of fire), and all people who weren’t particularly nice during the previous year were announced, loudly, while lighting the fires. Also on this Sunday, all marriage promises were announced, the engagements that were to be established, the reasons for the separation of some couples, and, finally, the boys and girls with questionable morals and skills were also loudly talked about, as well as about the married who had love affairs. In fact, these shouts were meant to weave dialogues between the groups of the young on each hill, all while lighting hodaiţe.
The custom is known under different names is Mărginimea Sibiului. If in Săliște, Galeș, Tilișca or Vale, people call it “Hodaițe”, while in Poiana, Jina and Rod, its name is “Mătăuzare”. In Sibiel and Fântânele it’s called “Alimorea”.
