People dressed as bears paraded around Comanesti, Romania on Wednesday to welcome 2016.
In pre-Christian tradition, the bear was considered sacred and the festival includes singing and dancing to ward off evil. The annual event -- which consists of ritual dances and performances -- is historically held in small, rural villages where townspeople wear bear furs and parade from house to house.
In recent years, however, dancers have started to travel to Romania's larger cities to perform the ritual for money.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.