A white Christmas full of joy near a fire tree, decorated
with many colored lights, is a wonderful dream for everybody.
For Christians living all over the world it is the greatest
religious event of the year. In Romania, people still keep
alive wonderful Christmas (Craciun) traditions
for celebrating Christ's birth. In the folk culture there are
12 holy days between December 25 and January 6 (when it
is celebrated Boboteaza - when water is
transformed into wine and has miraculous healing power).
Each day is a symbol for a month of the next year
(25 means January, 26 represents February and so on).
You may try to follow this old Romanian habit : on December
24 take a big onion and split it in two halves. Then
choose 12 pieces, arrange them on a table (as cups) and
salt each of them inside. Don't touch the onion leafs until
January 6. The juice content will show you how large will
be the quantity of precipitation every month of the next
year. It is a simple method for prediction the weather,
isn't it? You must know that origins of this magic onion
calendar are lost somewhere in the centuries.
In the previous weeks before Christmas, Orthodox people
prepare themselves spiritually and physically by a severe
fasting. As a remark, at the countryside peasants don't use
the same pots as they did before entering in this fasting
period. Adults and children older than seven don't eat
certain food (meat, cheese, eggs, milk) and try to have a
clean aspect and a respectful behavior. Even sexual
relations are forbidden during this time. Also people must
pray a lot and go to church more often than usually. Two or
three days before Christmas, in Romanian houses smells good
because women prepare special food. Exceptional dishes
appreciated by foreigners are cabbage rolls (Sarmale). Also
every family will have on the table a sweet bread
called "Cozonac". In some regions, women cook
big bread as a symbol of Jesus body. They decorate it with
flowers, branches, leafs, birds and a small sun made from
dough. This magic bread is kept on a separate table until the
morning of the first day of the New Year. In this special
morning, after making a small cross on the back, the oldest
women in the house cuts it in four equal pieces. She gives
a piece of bread to the children under seven coming to the
door with wishes for this New Year (Plugusorul),
another piece is for the animals in the stable and the rest
is eaten by family members before anything else.
On 24th of
December, children are waiting Santa Claus
(Mos Craciun) near a beautiful fir tree full of
lights, colored balls and candies. Decorating a Christmas tree
lasts for four centuries but in the
19th century
that habit was widely spread in the world. Before receiving
gifts, children have to sing carols (Colinde
- after the Latin word "calendae") that they have
learned since mid December. More than 300 years ago, in the
South Eastern European territory appeared a beautiful type of
songs named carols. In this way you can make wishes to
your dear ones, to your neighbors and even to unknown people.
In many villages, young people form one large group lead by
a captain (called Vataf). This is the most
handsome, strong, smart and hardworking bachelor in the area.
So on December 24, early in the afternoon, children start
singing carols at every door they meet in their road.
Parents, grandparents and neighbors invite them inside the
house. It is an ancient belief that giving something to your
guests in the Christmas Eve will help their wishes become
real next year. That's why children receive nuts, ring-shaped
bread, apples and money.
Around midnight come to sing carols young men. They wear
their best clothes and they carry green branches of
firetrees decorated with traditional towels. First carol will
be sung in the house of the most respected family in the
village. There is all kind of carols: for older ones, for
singles and even for children because through these words
they wish healthy, abundance, great crops and a good husband
or wife - it depends. Early in the morning of
25th of December,
it is the turn for older men to go from house to house.
These carols are only religious remembering the star that was
shining in the sky when Jesus was born or scenes from His
life. Sometimes instruments accompany them. As a reward they
receive a glass of wine and a piece of "cozonac".
In Maramures region it is found a very beautiful carol about
"white apple flowers" (flori dalbe de mar). Perhaps it
is the most famous Romanian carol abroad. The lines are
inspired from an old tradition here. In the Saint Andrew's
night (November
30th) people
cut apple branches and put them in the water near the window.
In this way, guests singing carols can see apple flowers on
the table in this holy night of Christmas. In Romanian folk
culture, apple tree is magic having the significance of
knowledge, hope, youth and regeneration of life. For this
reason each Christmas it is good to have in your house
apple flowers.
On December 25 people are going to the church to celebrate
Jesus Christ's birth. At the countryside, they usually wear
beautiful folk costumes. During the next two days, it is a
habit to visit your parents, relatives and best friends and
also to receive many guests in your house.
For tourists, Christmas is a unique opportunity to enter in
a magic white world where they may find lost rituals.
Tasting specific Romanian dishes is an unforgettable
experience combined with people's warmth and hospitality.
Lights are shining on streets, buildings and houses. People
greet each other with "Craciun fericit!" which
can be translated as "Merry Christmas!".
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