~ Religious Holidays -~

About Christmas Traditions… Holidays and folk customs - grouped around the winter solstice (the 20th of December – the 7th of January) - is called generic WINTER HOLIDAY. The verb ”TO WANDER” refers to a scenario composed of ceremonial texts (carols), magic formulas, dances, gestures, played in the house, the streets, by a sacred band. The Carols send best wishes for rich fruit, fulfillment of wishes in the new year. They represent the most common tradition of the Romanian people.

Romanian Christmas Traditions Romanian Christmas is not only about delicious food or inebriating drinks. Romanian people are very religious and they care about the core of the holiday – Jesus Christ’s birth. So, early in the morning, they go to church for the Christmas blessing. Carols are an important part of the Romanian folklore. Although they seem simple, they have very deep meanings that make people surmount difficulties and give them hope to go on. Traditionally, children go caroling very early in the morning on Christmas’ Eve while adults stay home to greet them. So they go from home to home and they get treats like fruit, candy, walnuts, crackers and, sometimes, even money for their performance and for good will.

Christmas carols: There are a few Christmas carols that you can find in almost every traditional part of Romania: * the Star carol (“Steaua”)

the Star carol (“Steaua”) The star has appeared on high, Like a big secret in the sky, The star in bright, May all your wishes turn out right…” “Steaua sus rasare, Ca o taina mare, Steaua straluceste, Si lumii vesteste…” The Star carol is about the waits that walk in the streets holding a star made of paper with biblical scenes in different colors, sometimes, even with shiny tinsel. While holding the star in their hands, children sing.

“SORCOVA” "Sorcova" is a special bouquet used for New Year's wishes early New Year’s morning. Children wish people a “Happy New Year!” while touching them lightly with this bouquet. After they have wished a Happy New Year to the members of their family, the children go to the neighbors and relatives. Traditionally, the "Sorcova" bouquet was made up of one or several fruit - tree twigs (apple-tree, pear-tree, cherry-tree, plum-tree); all of them are put into water, in warm place, on November 30 th (St. Andrew’s Day), in order to bud and to blossom on New Year's Eve.

Sorcova, vesela, Sã trãiti, sã-mbãtrâniti, Ca un mãr, ca un pãr, Ca un fir de trandafir, Tare ca piatra, Iute ca sãgeata, Tare ca fierul, Iute ca otelul, Peste varã, primavarã, Nici capul sã nu te doarã, La anu' si la multi ani ! Merry Sorcova, May your health be strong And you life long: As an apple tree As a pear stately As a rose bush fair Blossoming beyond compare: Strong as a granite rock Quick as an arrow’s shock Hard as an iron bar Tougher than steel by far, Over summer, over spring, May your health be great A New Year with happiness And in everything success.

The Little Plough * Plugusorul Plugusorul is a small plough. In Romanian folklore is a traditional procession with a decorated plough, on New Years' Eve. This is a well wishing custom for the field fruitfulness into the new year. This custom arises from "Carmen arvale", a Roman wish for bountiful crops. The ploughmen are teenagers and children carrying whips, bells and pipes in their hands. “Mâine anul se-nnoie ş te, Plugu ş orul se porne ş te Ş i-om începe a ura, Pe la case a colinda. Iarna-i grea, om ă tu-i mare, Semne bune anul are; Semne bune de bel ş ug, Pentru brazda de sub plug."

Bear Custom * Ursul This custom is known only in Moldavia, a part of Romania, on the Christmas Eve. In this case a young person dresses up in a bear costume adorned with red tassels on its ears, on his head and shoulders. The person wearing the bear costume is accompanied by fiddlers and followed by a whole procession of characters, among them a child dressed-up as the bear's cub. Inspired by the crowd’s singing: the bear grumbles and imitates the steps of the bear, striking strongly against the earth with the soles of its feet to the sound of drums and pipes. "Dance well, you old bear, And I’ll give you bread and olives"

LA MULTI ANI! * HAPPY NEW YEAR! * FROHES NEUES JAHR! Urari de Craciun si de Anul Nou:  Craciun fericit!  La mul ţ i ani!  La anul ş i la mul ţ i ani! Wishes for Christmas time and the New Year:  Merry Christmas!  Happy New Year! Weihnachtswünsche:  Alles Liebe zu Weihnachten!  Frohes neues Jahr!  Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

Va multumim! Thank you!