Among the more hilarious things we saw while driving around Maramures: trees, bushes and even hand-made tree-like racks festooned with bright pots and pans and buckets. Was this a peasant method for drying dishes? Who would use so many pots and pans for a single meal? Was this a kind of Easter tree?
The mystery was solved by our friend Lia, who explained that in the villages of Maramures families announce that they have a daughter they are hoping to marry off by decorating their trees with pots and pans: the nicer the pans and the fuller the tree, the bigger the dame's dowry (so a giant redwood covered all over with All-Clad would advertise the ultimate babe, I guess!). These are matrimonial, culinary billboards, in essence.
Along the same lines, the front room of many houses is dedicated entirely to the display of a girl's dowry, all of it (chests, carpets, doilies, implements, china, etc.) arranged strategically to attract the eyes of inquiring local hunks.
La,
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