We have Dragobetele - a very beautiful Dacian holiday.

This image is similar to that of a ship from 1848 at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna and is in the book "The Migration of Symbols" (London, 1894) by Goblet D'Alviella.

He depicts Dragobete (Drago beth El).

Who is Dragobete?

He is an archetypal Man,

The Eternal Masculine,

a role model for many men.

From this point of view He manifests attributes specific to Shiva from the Hindu yogic mythology, having a fundamental similarity difficult to match by other Western myths.

The son of Baba Dochia, Dragobete is celebrated on February 24. Dragobete is considered the Romanian equivalent of Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day.

In fact, it is much more than that.

Probably, February 24 meant for the old man the beginning of spring, the day when nature wakes up, the bear comes out of the lair, the birds look for nests, and man had to participate in the joy of nature.

Archetypal entity resembling Eros or Cupid, Dragobete is a mythical creature described as a young immortal, a sturdy, beautiful and good god, who is also popularly called Năvalnic.

Some legends say that on this day Dragobete wanders through the forests accompanied by a group of mythical creatures, a kind of fairies, called Love.

Dragobete is the protector of the birds but also the protector of the love of those who meet on the day of Dragobete, love that lasts all year round, just as the birds "get engaged" on this day.

On this day, the Romanian villages resounded with the joy of the young people and the saying:

"Dragobetele kiss the girls."

There are many popular beliefs in reference to Dragobete. Thus it was said that whoever participated in this holiday would be protected from the diseases of the year, and especially from fever, and that Dragobetele helps the householders to have a bountiful year.

Each young man was careful not to catch him the day of unparalleled Dragobete, this fact being considered foreboding of... solitude.

On Dragobete, fires were lit in the hills, and at noon the girls would go down running, chased by the boys This custom was called the Dragobete Flyer.
In some areas, on Dragobete, the boys gathered in the fog and made themselves brothers of the cross.
The girls ignored by the boys on the day of Dragobete accused the others of making charms.
Some traditions say that, by Dragobete, men should not upset the feme.i

Dressed for the celebration, the girls and the lads met in front of the church and went to look through the forests and meadows, spring flowers.

In the south of Romania, the girls returned to the village running, usually called flying, pursued by a boy to whom she had fallen dear. If the boy was quick to get by the leg and reached her, and the girl liked him, she would kiss him in plain sight.

This kiss signified the engagement of the two for a year or even more, Dragobetele being an opportunity for the community to find out what weddings are still preparing for autumn.

Even the older people did not stay in vain, the day of Dragobete being the day when they had to take care of all the birds in the yard, but also the birds of the sky. On this day no animals were slaughtered for in this way the purpose of matings in nature would have been corrupted.

Women used to touch a man from another village, and then be cuddly all year round.

The big girls collected from the evening the last remnants of snow, called the snow of the fairies, and the melted water from the omelette was used throughout the year for beauty and for various delights of love.

Another tradition says that Dragobetele was transformed into a plant called Năvalnic, by Mother Precistă, after Dragobete tried to win his love.

Young women who want to find their dear soul must, on the night of February 23 to 24 , put under their pillows sanctified basil. In the dream they will be shown even Dragobetele, who will show them the one who is going to conquer their heart.

According to another ancient tradition, by Dragobete the housewives sow basil in seedlings, then they care for it until the day of St. George. On that day, the basil is moved to the garden. Subsequently, the basil sown by Dragobete is used in delights that attract luck.
No one is allowed to weep on this sacred day

On the day of Dragobete, fetele and boys are not allowed to cry or be sad. It is said that those who cry on this day will experience troubles and upsets for at least 6 months and will attract bad luck. For Dragobete, it is good to party and to rejoice, so that the whole year will go well with the man they love.

So... so that's with Dragobetele.

As much as we can, each day would be good to be a celebration of love in the couple and of the Eternal Masculine.

We can focus on giving as much as possible to the other on this occasion: a gift, watching a show, maybe even a poem, flowers or an intense thought towards the God of Love.

A pretext for men to give flowers to women and a chance for women to show their affection for a man...

Whatever name this day may have... let us love... much and without calculations ... without the measure and other limitations...!

Leo Radutz

Abheda Yoga Academy, Bucharest