Tiganesti village from Straseni district was bought at auction with 6,000 lei.

The village of Tiganesti from Straseni district was bought at auction with 6,000 lei.

According to St. Basil tradition, the one who bought it receives for one year the symbolic title of "master of the locality". The event is a good party and good chance. 

Valeriu Popa is the owner of the Tiganesti village this year. 

"We bought the village with 6,000 lei so as not to lose the tradition of the village and take it further. The land that remains to respect our tradition", said Valeriu Popa, a villager. 

He took the title of "master of the village" from his consulate, Ion Bidiniuc, who held office in 2018.

"Many take part but who has more luck than that and buys the village. Some have bought it in rubles, others in Euro, we in lei and so on", said Ion Bidiniu, another villager.

Locals are proud of this tradition, especially as the money collected at auction is also used for the benefit of the village. 

This year, the Game of the Village was greeted by Cornelia and Marcel Stefanet.

"We have not frozen, and the music is very wonderful. It's a pleasure for us, very beautiful, very beautiful".

And because the outside temperatures were below zero degrees, people stopped to heat up.  

The event also attracted tourists: a young woman who came from Romania says she was impressed by the traditions of the villagers of Tiganesti.

"We follow together the beautiful and unique traditions here, and we strive to encourage them to maintain and continue them. We try to show the Romanians what is happening here and let the people approve of their brethren across the Prut river", said Adriana Scripacriu, visitor. 

After midnight, several bizarre mobs went from house to house to announce the beginning of the new year on old style.