WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA

Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas Eve 25 th December – Christmas 27 th December – St. Stephen 31 st December – New Year’s Eve, “Pluguşorul”, “Capra” 1 st January – St. Basil, “Sorcova” 5 th January – Epiphany Eve 6 th January – Epiphany 7 th January – Saint John

Saint Nicholas On the evening of 5 th December children prepare their boots in which Saint Nicholas will put gifts. It is said that the saint is traveling with a donkey loaded with two baskets: one filled with candy and toys for good children and another with twigs for children who have not been good. He comes down the chimney and give children sweets or twig. The next morning the children find gifts left by Santa Claus in their boots.

20 th December – St. Ignatius Christmas pig slaughter is a good demonstration of how a pagan practice has got to be associated with a Christian holiday. In Dacians religion pig was sacrificed as a symbol of the divinity that make the sun to be weak and to be the shortest day of the year, winter solstice. To help the Sun, people sacrificed pigs and feed themselves with pork meat. After that the day was beginning to grow and the Christmas became a celebration of light and life

20 th December – St. Ignatius

Mistletoe For Druids, mistletoe was considered to be a sacred plant and a symbol of eternal life as well as Christmas trees. Romanians considered it a symbol of peace, being accepted by the faithful Christians.

Mistletoe Usually mistletoe is placed above the entrance door People believe that it to bring good luck, wealth, and health and attracts angels. Kissing under the mistletoe is a symbol of friendship and steadiness, peace and joy.

Christmas Eve 40 days before Christmas, Advent begins during which people don’t eat meat or dairy products. Also during this period the Romanians do house cleaning.

On the morning of 24 th December until the lunch, groups of children between 5 and 14 years sing "Christmas Eve", a short carol sang to every home. In the evening, after leaving the church (at 18), groups of children go with "Star", a religious carols. The group bears a star, lit from behind with a candle, the star has in center a reproduction of the Nativity.

PLUGUL On New Year's Eve (31th December) groups of lads and recently married men go to plough - ancient agrarian custom, which has become a common wish of good harvest for the new year. This custom illustrates one of the main occupations of the Romanian people - agriculture.

PLUGUŞORUL Pluguşorul (for children) – on New Year's Eve groups of children go from house to house to wish bearing whips, bells, etc.. The wish is a long poem in verse showing the sequence of agricultural work - from plowing until the blossoms of trees.

SORCOVA It is dedicated to the New Year. Ritual mark consists of a stick or a green branch which is decorated. The custom is practiced by children who make wishes of health, wealth and prosperith for the hosts.

CAPRA Capra was considered by Romanians the animal which shows signs if the weather will be good or bad. The dance of the "goat" became a ritual meant to bring wealth and good harvest for the new year. Nowadays, the game has remained an opportunity to show off some beautiful ornaments, carpets, towels, etc., in different colors.

The Bear (Ursul) The bear’s dance (custom from Moldova region) Bear is embodied by a boy wearing on his head and shoulders a bear’s fur. "Mask" is led by a bear leader, accompanied by music. In the rattle of drums and other instruments, the bear leader provoke the animal which imitates the swaying steps of the bear. The custom symbolize the soil purification and fertilization in the new year.

The fight from Ruginoasa

New Year’s Eve (REVELIONUL) On the night of December 31 Romanians celebrate the coming new year. They organize parties and dinners. On January 1 occurs religious feast of St. Basil.

New Year’s Eve (REVELIONUL) In 1691, Pope Innocent XII declared 1 st January as the first day of the year. The wish for the New Year is "La mulţi ani!"

Epiphany 5th January – Eve of Epiphany Priest goes from house to house and sprinkles holy water in the house and the family. 6th January – Epiphany The priest sanctifies the water (aghiazma) and with it are sanctified all the waters of the earth. With the holy water are sprinkled the animals and is given to the sick people.

Epiphany Practiced on 6 January – the custom of cross recovering from the cold water, thus proving that the guys became men.

Saint Joan On 7 th January Romanians celebrate Orthodox religious feast of Saint John. He was the one who baptized people in ancient Galilee, announcing the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

DZIĘKUJE!