A STRANGE, BUT AMAZING TOURISTIC ATTRACTION:

MERRY CEMETERY Name MOISE ADINA GEORGIANA GROUP 8102

1 University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania59 Mărăști Blvd, District 1, 011464, Bucharest, Romania

Keywords: cross, sculpture, wooden, tradition, Sapanta

INTRODUCTIONThe unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life (see also Zalmoxianism). The cemetery's origins are linked with the name of Stan Ioan Pătraş, a local artist who sculpted the first tombstone crosses. In 1935, Pătraș carved the first epitaph and, as of the 1960s, more than 800 of such oak wood crosses came into sight. The inscription on his tombstone cross says: Since I was a little boyI was known as Stan Ion PătraşListen to me, fellowsThere are no lies in what I am going to sayAll along my lifeI meant no harm to anyoneBut did good as much as I couldTo anyone who askedOh, my poor WorldBecause It was hard living in it

CONCLUSIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coordinating teacher: Mihai Daniel Frumușelu

REFERENCEShttp://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Cimitirul_Vesel_din_S%C4%83p%C3%A2n

%C8%9Ba

STUDENTS’ SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUMUSAMV MIEADR 2015

If you ever visit Maramureș, you are not allowed to skip Merry Cemetery of Săpânța.

 The main colour he used was blue, a special blue named by experts Săpânţa blue. The other colours were also symbolic in their unique way: Green - life, Yellow- fertility, Red - passion, Black - death.