The Csango Region is the name given to the Romanian area in which a group of people of Hungarian origin, known as the Csangos, live. This region is very interesting due to the fact that it counts with many peculiarities as well as with unique traditions, and is a must for all tourists who visit Moldavia during their vacation in Romania.
The origins of the Csango Region can be traced back to the 18th century when a group of people from Transylvania immigrated to Moldavia. During that époque, Transylvania was part of Hungary and therefore most of these emigrants had such nationality. Towards endings of the 19th century, it was discovered that the ethnical origin of many of these immigrants was not Hungarian but from other regions such as Cumans and Pechenegs, and received the name of Csangos.
Since then, the area of Moldavia inhabited by this population became known as the Csango Region, and is considered to be one of the most interesting spots to visit in Romania. When visiting the Csango Region, tourists would find that its inhabitants speak a unique Transylvanian dialect and count with several peculiar and unique traditions.
It is believed that the word Csango derives from a verb “csang” which can be translated as to ramble or to stroll. It might also be interesting to know that the denomination Csangos is often also given to Szekler people who immigrated to this region of Moldavia in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Szekler Hungarians have their own traditions and cultural characteristics although according to experts these characteristics are disappearing while the two groups, the Csangos and the Szeklers, seem to be becoming a more fused population.
Some of the villages of the Csango Region seem to have been inhabited by people of Hungarian origin before the Csangos. It is believed that these villages, such as Luizi Calugara, Gioseni, or Faraoani used to be inhabited by Hungarians during the middle Ages. Other interesting peculiarity of the Csango Region is that its northernmost areas seem to have much less inhabitants of Szekler origin than other areas of the region.