In spring, the village of Surdesti in Maramures celebrates its most hard-working man with a ceremony called "Udatoriul".

It is an ancient, unique, agrarian ritual that honours the first family man who went out plowing in the spring. He is carefully chosen by the elders of the village two weeks before Easter. Called Udatoriu (meaning the man who gets watered), the chosen farmer must be married with children so that the year may be fruitful.

At the end of the second day of Easter holly mass at the famous wooden church in Surdesti (UNESCO World Heritage site), Udatoriul is blessed by the priest.

Praised and sung by all the people of the village, the farmer is then carried home on a procession. Here, the village lads have to find a penny that had previously been hidden in a log by the hard-working farmer. Once the penny is retrieved, the farmer is lifted into a small two-wheeled cart and taken to the river where he is watered. The farmer in turn sprinkles water on the village lads.

They all go home where the most hard-working farmer of the village has to offer food and drink to everyone.

Surdesti wooden church: 300 years of carpentry craftsmanship

Easter Sunday in Maramures