Far from being mere accessories, folk masks are part of a fantastic world that sprung from the mentality of the Romanian traditional society.

Considered to be of pagan origin, the mask game is an old symbol of ritualistic dances that took place in the past and had the role of purifying the village space but it also used to symbolize fertility.

The masks are crafted from various materials, usually from household objects or materials that are no longer useful: wool, fur and animal skin, thick cloth or linen fabrics, burned clay, carved wood, tree bark, thick rope, feathers, oakum, animal claws and teeth, horse hair or pig hair, beans and corn grains, corn cobs, buttons, beads, pieces of glass, paper, cardboard or animal horns.

The Romanian folk masks are part of the Moldavian tradition of Draxini village in Botoşani county and they are played on New Year's Eve with the same joy and enthusiasm as once upon a time. These masks, which follow the original manufacturing methods, the materials and the local style, were presented in countless national and international exhibitions where they were praised and cherished by a wide audience.