Each year on February 24, we celebrate our own traditional holiday dedicated to love: Dragobete. The Orthodox Church celebrates in this day The Finding of St Joan’s Head, a religious holiday also known as “spring head” in our tradition.

Dragobete first appears at our ancestors: Daci. In their beliefs, Dragobete was a matchmaker and a godfather for the animals. Romanians carried on this tradition and transformed this myth in a love story: those that meet in this day will be loved all year long.

Dragobete was the son of Dochia and was considered to be a mythological deity that protects the young lovers and that can be compared to the Greek and Roman gods of love: Eros and Cupidon. This celebration symbolizes the beginning of spring, the day when nature reborn, when the bear leaves his den, when birds start making nests and when the humans has to participate to the joy of nature.

In Neamt County, starting with centuries XVIII – XIX the events of this day were organized by following a certain ritual. The young people, dressed in their fine clothes, gathered in groups in the morning of February 24, in the center of the village or in front of village’s church. After that moment they were going into the woods in search of snowdrops and other plants.

The young girls were gathering violets that were preserved beside religious icons: they used those plants to “make love spells”. Another custom was to gather the snow from outside and to melt it. The water was saved over the year and used to wash their hair with it: the belief was that this way they’ll always be beautiful and young.

Another symbol of Dragobete was the fact that he was also considered a patron of good will. This day is the moment when the first vows of love are told. Who participates to this holiday will be protected by diseases all year long and will have a wealthy year.

In present days the celebration of Dragobete is considered the Romanian equivalent of Valentine’s Day. Dragobete is different though from St Valentine from the Catholic religion. He is a handsome man, naughty and full of life. In the old days, on February 24, in every village you could hear the saying “Dragobetele saruta fetele” which means “Drabobete kisses the girls”.