Tradition, like love, matters

Because of my long lasting fascination with communist history and a preference for little trodden paths, the choice for Romania was an easy one. Still, I didn’t quite know what to expect. My first impressions of this strange Eastern European country were ‘mixed’, to say the least. Romania seems to be a country littered with contradiction. On the one hand the country has been heavily industrialized under communism, on the other hand one sees signs of a rural and ancient tradition which is still very much alive everywhere. While driving to Braşov I saw flocks of sheep graze idyllically in fields full of garbage. And on the road fancy BMW’s crossed old looking horse carts all the time. Modernity and middle ages meet in the middle of the street. The same sense of paradox remained when I arrived in Braşov. The grey concrete of the recent communist blocks contrasted starkly with the elegant atmosphere of the old town centre and the screaming capitalist billboards that stared at me from every corner differed greatly from the serene mountain ranges which surround the town. All of these paradoxes combined make for an interesting mix of old and new. But they bring with them some problems too. The sudden and rapid changes that overtook Romania the last few decades seem to have left the country without a firm and fixed identity. The difficulties this evolution has caused are obvious. A country which has lost sight of its own past is a poor country indeed. And one who has no awareness of the tradition that formed him, is bound to experience alienation in some form or another. Therefore, preservation of ancient but fading practices, rituals and beliefs in the modern age is crucial. Because once they are gone, they are gone forever. To quote Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein: ‘Tradition is not something a man can learn; not a thread he can pick up when he feels like it; any more than a man can choose his own ancestors. Someone lacking in tradition who would like to have one is like a man unhappily in love.’ Tradition, like love, matters. For that reason, I hope the work we do through The Village magazine will be of some use to the Romanian community. by Michiel Bellon