4. the dance of the bears
Men and women, dressed as bears, dance
through the streets to welcome the New
Year
Accompanied by drummers and a "bear
tamer" who sings, the bear dance was
intended to scare away evil spirits.
Its origins come from when the local
gypsies, also known as the Roma,
descended to the cities from the forests in
which they lived and brought with them
authentic bears.
