Gabriela Duda

What people wore

Festive attire for unmarried women

In the Bărăgan region during the interwar period, unmarried women often wore silk dresses in bright colors, silk stockings, and leather shoes on feast days to attract suitors.

Getting around

Trains and buses modernized Romanian travel

In the 1920s and 1930s, the train became the backbone of Romanian mobility, though rural travel often still relied on oxcarts or walking due to limited road infrastructure. A journey from Bucharest to Brasov was a multi-hour experience, and local bus lines began to emerge as a faster, albeit still slow, alternative for village-to-town travel.

At the table

Mamaliga as a staple rural food

In rural areas, families often relied on cornmeal porridge called mamaliga as a daily staple, sometimes consuming up to 3 kilograms per person during heavy work days. It was frequently eaten with simple side dishes like vinegar-sprinkled fried mamaliga, crushed garlic with pickles, or a fruit-based stew called chisälita.

Music

Wedding roles in Transylvania

During weddings in Transylvania, peasants sang ritual songs themselves, while Roma professional musicians played for the dancing.

Daily life

Cooking and heating in provincial kitchens

In provincial towns, many kitchen walls functioned as chimneys, allowing families to stay warm during winter by leaning against them. Cooking was typically done on a stove or range, often using wood as fuel.

What it cost

The high cost of footwear

In the interwar period, a pair of shoes cost 605 lei, which made footwear difficult to purchase for many ordinary workers.