22 December 2015

Christmas tales from Romania

Christmas is just around the corner.
Read away if you want to find out more about how Christmas looks like in Romania!



Christmas is my favorite holiday.
Ever.

I love everything about it. I love the snow, the warm fluffly sweaters, the carols, the decorations and I just love it how people get together from far away distances to spend time with their families.

My favorite memories from childhood are those that involved me and my sister, in our pajamas, under the blanket, eating my mom’s cookies and watching Christmas movies that we’ve seen a million times before. 

 
Or my grandparents’ countryside house, with a glass of hot wine in our hands, listening to their stories from the old days. 

A big part of Christmas when I was a kid was going around my grandparents’ village, in the first hours of the Christmas day, “colindând” - singing carols from house to house and people giving us “colaci” and “nuci”.

 

I liked it how the village seemed sound asleep, the snow would crack under our boats and the cold seemed almost blissful. The voices of the kids would echo in the valley while the sun was waking up and the world seemed at ease with everything. 
I love Christmas because it reminds me of a time without worrying, when time was passing without hurrying.



Growing up, I realized that Christmas opens the door to an entire folkloric universe of meanings that overcomes the borders of today’s consumerist approach to the holiday.

In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter celebrations last from 20th December to 7th January.
The 20th is when people celebrate St. Ignatius's Day. The Christmas celebrations begin on “Ajunul Craciunului - Christmas Eve, 24th, with the decoration of the Christmas Tree. 

Still present in some parts of Romania, the dance of the goat is part of the Christmas celebration. The goat is known as 'Capra' and it jumps and dances around getting up to lots of mischief.

 

Traditional Romanian Christmas foods include roast gammon and pork chops, 'ciorba de perisoare' which is a slightly sour vegetable soup made with fermented bran and pork meatballs; 'Sarmale' - cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and served with polenta; 'Cozonac' - a rich fruit bread.



In Romania Santa Claus is known as 'Moş Crăciun' and Merry Christmas is 'Crặciun Fericit'.