Periniţa (en)7.5102

There is probably no man who has not played the crazy dance of Periniţa. This particular Romanian dance is a ritual of kissing. People from the village Bătrâni say that they are the ones who played the first the dance of kiss.

This dance started from the wedding parties, also called “vedre”, when the bride was inviting the girls and the boys from village to say goodbye. A small, embroidered pillow was being manufacture and put in the middle of the dance site, so this is how Periniţa appeared. That night, the bride was dancing and kissing with all boys, that representing her last kisses as girl.

The groom was participating too, at that event, allowing boys to kiss his future wife because on Sunday he was the only one who was to kiss his wife. For the bride, Periniţa was her last dance as a girl, because she was becoming a married woman and she will not be allowed to play this kissing dance.

I remember with pleasure the round dances unleashed by Periniţa’s rhythms, played at “Cultural Home” in my grandparents’ village. I was hardly waiting for Easter and Christmas to come because that is the time that offers you the most beautiful countryside parties. People were cheerful and were pleasantly dancing when they were hearing the songs played by the best musicians in the area.

When the first agreement of Periniţa could be heard, boys and girls were coming out for dance, and the elders sat on the edge and were looking, dreaming on the times they were young. Immediately a boy was starting to wave a beautifully embroidered handkerchief in his right hand. He was going right in the middle of the dancers and after a canvass of the jumping girls, he was heading to the one whom he has fallen in love. Then the boy ran down his handkerchief, the two sat on their knees and kissed with passion. After that, the girl had to choose to perform the ritual kiss and everything will get to the start. Oh, what I “hated” the one who drew the time playing alone in the middle until he chose the most beautiful girl. I was afraid that musicians will finish to play Periniţa and no lad will have enough time to choose me.

The lyrics that had a tumultuous cry of love in mind and heart were:

Green leaf sheets as vital

Play my brother periniţa

Play my darling so

This is your periniţa

Do not stop

Keep the periniţa

Take a girl as long as she is young

Do not forget the bow,

Do not stop

Keep periniţa

Play my darling with your feet

Because today it is holiday.

This game of love and kissing still preserves in the Romanian tradition and it is still played at weddings and festivals throughout the year.