Mysterious Romania (X) Easter Traditions

Easter is one of the most important celebrations of Christianity, commemorating the moment when Jesus came back from the dead. We, as Orthodox, celebrate it, this year, on 12th April.

In my country, the symbol of this celebration is the  red Easter egg. Eggs, in general, are a traditional symbol of fertility, and rebirth.

 Starting with Holy Thursday, people start painting eggs in a multitude of colors. The predominant color is red, but other colors are also applied - yellow, green and blue. Decorated eggs or 'oua incondeiate' are an integral part of Easter celebration in Romania. The eggs are decorated using a type of thin and round sticks  made of beech wood. 

Here are other customs and traditions linked to Easter in Romanian lore.

The first knocked egg on Easter day should be shared by all the members of the family. It will keep them united forever.

 If the first egg you eat on Easter has two yolks, then prepare for wedding. You’ll get married soon.

On Easter Morning everyone in the family  washes their face with the water in which a red-painted egg and a silver coin were sunk. The red egg symbolizes health and the silver purity.

Red eggs are knocked head to head on the first day and  bottom to bottom starting with the next Easter day.

The person whose egg doesn’t crack at knocking on Easter will die before the other one.

Traditional Easter food is based on lamb, Christ’s symbol. It includes  a sour  lamb soup called “ciorba”, roasted lamb stake, a meat pie made of lamb liver - haggis (drob), and lots of painted eggs. 

The candle, an important symbol of the Resurrection, represents the victory of life  against death, of good against evil. It must be brought home, while burning, after the religious service. It is not thrown away but put away in a safe place. It can be lit again, in front of an icon, on difficult moments- illness, great trouble and danger.


The most entertaining Easter tradition is the “egg battle”, an egg championship in which all friends and family participate. Each round of the game consists of knocking two hard-boiled eggs – the egg with the toughest shell wins and the loser has to eat all the boiled eggs the winner breaks.

Allow me to end the post with the traditional greeting Romanians use for forty days starting with Easter Day,      “Hristos a inviat (Christ has risen).”