Merry Christmas

Wishing  you, my friends, all the Joys and Wonders of Christmas!

 May this festive season fill your life with bright and precious moments  and bring you lots of sweet and pleasant surprises!

 

Christmas is a major annual celebration in Romania, full of significance and traditions. Romanians, who are predominantly Orthodox, celebrate Jesus Christ's birth. Introduced once with the Christianization of Romania, the observance of Christmas was interrupted during the Communist period (1948—1989), as concepts as religion, Jesus Christ or the Church were banned. Instead of being visited by Santa Claus children received gifts under the fir tree from Old Man Frost/ Mos Gerila.

Romanian carols belong to those texts and tunes known as "Eucharistic songs"- songs of thanks and gratitude and praise.

Here is a Romanian carol- "We are caroling"

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You can watch and listen to the well known carol  Oh, Christmas Tree - in Romanian and English. The children who sing it are dressed in traditional Romanian costumes from all regions of the country.

Easter Traditions in my country, Romania

Easter is one of the most important celebrations of Christianity, commemorating the moment when Jesus came back from the dead. Romanians start preparing for this special day long before the day itself as  Lent lasts for 48 days. During these days people go to church, many of them give up meat, eggs, or dairy products. It’s  considered a ritual of purification for both the body and soul.

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

Why do we paint the Easter eggs in red? It is said that when Virgin Mary came to cry for her crucified son, she placed a basket of eggs under the Cross. The eggs turned red as a symbol of the blood that flowed from the wounds of Jesus, and since then we paint Easter eggs. At first, the eggs were painted only in red, but later we started painting them in many colors, including green, yellow, orange, blue, and even black.

On the night before Easter, Romanians put on new clothes and go to church. At midnight, everyone lights a candle from the priest’s candle. The light from these candles symbolizes the return of Jesus from the dead. It’s a very special moment and the sight of hundreds of candles in the night can take your breath away.

At dawn, after attending the religious service, everyone goes home, carefully holding their candle. On Easter morning we wash our faces with water from a bowl , into which we put a red egg and a coin. It is said that if you wash your face with this water, you will be healthy and beautiful – just like an Easter egg.

Even after Easter is over, there are some words that can be heard on the streets for weeks to come. When a person sees a friend or family for the first time after Easter has passed, the normal introduction is skipped and the first person says, “Cristos a inviat (Christ has risen).” The second person responds by saying, “Adevarat a inviat (Indeed, he has risen).” This verbal exchange is very much part of the celebration and is a way for people to remind each other of the importance of Easter even after the holiday is over.

Wishing all my awesome followers, bloggers and fellow authors, who celebrate Easter this Sunday, a sunny spring with lots of joy and accomplishments!