The name "Udatorii" (the wetters) suits best a certain agricultural tradition, that makes the Romanian village people from the Surdesti village (Maramures) take the most hospitable man from the settlement and wet him in the nearest river, for richer crops in that year. This is the new version of the habit, since many years ago, the one taken to the river was the first villager to start ploughing. The village community is a great part of this habit and the “wetters” are the ones keeping it alive. The word "Udatoriu" and the tradition lives on till this day in the Surdesti village only, in the ethnographical area of Chioar (situated in Maramures department).

This is quite an old tradition, meant to ensure the fertility of the fields and the old men say that it's performed in the second Easter day. “Udatoriu” stands for fertility and the resurrection of nature, but it's also linked to the Easter, that means "passing" in Hebrew and it's also a great non-working holiday. This is how “Udatoriu” made it to the second Easter day.

The chosen plougher must be a pretty important man in the local community and he has to live with this "title". Weeks before the celebration, two young men from the village become “crai” and they have to find the first man ploughing. Once they find the next "Udatoriu", the "crai" start negotiating with the man, with the contribution of local authorities, who confirm the qualities of the chosen one.

On the second Easter day, the "crai", the young men, married people and women come to church in Surdesti, where the Udatoriu is brought in order to meet the priest and give the people the permission to start the celebration

The church's bell ringer officially announces the chosen “Udatoriu” and afterwards the two “crai” lift him up saying "Up With the Udatoriu!". And the crowd answer "May he live in peace!". Next, there are more "titles" to be given: four young men are made "fesnici", the best of them is called a "comarnic", four more (the brightest) become "jendari". Others become "judges", "doctors", "pig caretakers" and much more, all of symbolic nature and according to each man's skill (the brightest is the judge or the village's economist).The chosen man has to pay a small amount of money, as a symbol and this is followed by the confrontation between the "crai" and the "diac", who will not open the church’s door unless he's "paid" with a litter of the local alcoholic drink "horinca".

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