On Sunday, February 1, 2026, Muzeul Viticulturii și Pomiculturii Golești invites the public to attend “The Vineyards’ Trifon Day (Gurbanul or Arezanul)”, a cultural and scientific event that brings back into contemporary focus an ancient celebration of the Romanian folk calendar, situated at the crossroads of agrarian ritual, Christian belief, and viticultural tradition.

Known in the wine-growing villages of southern Romania as Gurbanul or Arezanul Viilor, the Vineyards’ Trifon Day traditionally marked the beginning of the new agricultural year. According to folk belief, February 1st is the moment when sap starts circulating again through plants and the vine “awakens to life.” For this reason, vine growers performed rituals of protection and fertility: the symbolic cutting of vine shoots, sprinkling the vines with wine, lighting ritual fires, and communal feasting meant to ensure abundance and to protect the vineyards from pests and harm.

The event is organized together with the Olt County Center for Culture and Arts, in collaboration with the Ștefănești Research Institute for Fruit Growing, the Olt County Museum, the Research and Development Station for Viticulture and Winemaking Drăgășani, the Town Halls of Ianca and Morunglav (Olt County), and the Bujorelul Cultural Association – Drăgănești Olt, institutions and communities that actively preserve the memory of these traditional practices.

The tradition of the Vineyards’ Trifon Day is still well preserved in the viticultural communities of Olt County – Ianca, Potelu, Morunglav, Cepari, Drăgănești Olt, Sâmburești, and Vitomirești – as well as in other regions such as Argeș, Teleorman, and Dolj. In these communities, the celebration was accompanied by ritual songs, dances around the fire, wearing wreaths made of vine shoots, and sharing wine as a gesture of communion and prosperity.

Event schedule at Golești:

  • 12:00 PM – Religious service dedicated to Saint Trifon, held in the vineyard, as a ritual of protection for the vines;

  • 12:30 PM – Laying the foundations of a wayside cross bearing the image of Saint Trifon, the patron saint of vine growers, created at Golești by artist Delia Bontachio, in the spirit of traditional boundary crosses and protective symbols;

  • 12:45 PM – Scientific symposium dedicated to the celebration, with contributions from ethnography, history, viticulture, and the study of intangible cultural heritage;

  • 1:45 PM – Wine competition open to vineyard owners from the Ștefănești wine-growing area and producers from Olt County (Ianca–Potelu, Morunglav–Cepari, Drăgănești Olt), followed by presentations of wines from the Drăgășani viticultural region, continuing the traditional ritual tasting of wine.

Through this event, the Golești Museum aims to highlight and promote the intangible cultural heritage associated with viticulture, bringing to the forefront the symbolism of fire, the vine, and wine—essential elements of the identity of rural communities and of traditional Romanian culture.