Traditions are cherished in the villages of Sibiu County, co-existing with 21st century practices and technology. For the Bathing of the Johns, in Tălmăcel, the Reunion of the Lads in Săliște, or the Wheat-Harvest Mace, in Cârța - the whole community wears traditional Romanian clothes and wholeheartedly practices the customs, as once parents and grandparents did. At the same time, many traditional practices have been changed by the modernity, mechanisation and technology of contemporary civilisation: fields are usually ploughed with tractors and only small land lots or gardens are worked with horse-drawn ploughs; smartphones are carried inside woven bags; parents get to know the atmosphere of youth`s parties through movies and photos posted on social networks. Thus, the dynamism of the present puts more and more of its imprint on the rural civilisation, producing irreversible changes on traditional heritage and passing some customs in the latent memory of the communities.

Simultaneously, traditional heritage becomes more and more attractive for urban people and tourists. The bride and groom who wear traditional folk costumes at weddings organised in cities, the restaurant menus including traditional or reinterpreted dishes, the brunches organised in rural areas, the presence of traditional artisans at tourism fairs, the designers` creations inspired by the Romanian traditional clothes, the workshops of folk dance and crafts, the interior design displaying traditional elements, the online communities dedicated to country life or traditional culture, the cultural tours in traditional enclaves - all these are present in the contemporary urban environment, which is more and more open to the rural elements.

That is why, in this century of digitalisation and speedy communication, it is imperative to research and promote traditional heritage through the most diverse means, adapted to the current social, cultural and informational framework. Starting from this point and benefiting from the support of Sibiu County Council, we conceived and implemented the cultural project "Pop Up Traditions”, co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.

Part of this project, the online exhibition “Pop Up Traditions. Sibiu - Old Customs for New Times” promotes traditions related to people`s life, customs along the year, vintage crafts, traditional recipes and old remedies, traditional songs and dances, through explanatory texts, photographs and films. Some traditions were researched in the field, during the difficult sanitary context of 2021, others were documented in archives, in literature or online, constituting a mirror of Sibiu`s intangible heritage, in the 21st century.

Project manager: Silvia Macrea

Project team: Maria Barna, Gabriela Negru, Cozmina Costiniuc, Lenuța Cristea (researchers), Ovidiu Mărginean, Gheorghe Roman Bogdan (audio and video specialists, film production), Rodica Anica Oprean (accountant)