Mysterious Romania (XXIII) Old Women’s Days-Babele

                                             

Romanians have a lot of customs and traditions linked to spring, especially to the month of March. Beside the lovely Martisor tradition, on 1st March, there’s also an interesting one linked to the first nine days of this month. It dates back to ancient times and I think it’s unique.

Our ancestors were aware that the first days of March are too cold, or too warm. Typical spring weather. They called these first nine days of changing weather - Old Women’s Days aka Babele.

From 1st to 9th March people have to choose one day, or better said an old woman, which will reveal their true nature. If the weather is nice on that day, the person is a kind-hearted one. If the weather is rainy, cold it means the person is unkind and peevish.

Old Women’s Days finish on 9th March when the weather already gets milder and sunnier.

Where does this belief come from?  The ethnographers say that the myth is one of the most important myths in Romania, that of Dochia.

If we take into consideration that the old Roman calendar started on 1st March, then old lady Dochia is the embodiment of the old year that is ending and must die at the beginning of March. Dochia’s death on 9th March is considered a border between the cold and the warm season.

There are numerous legends regarding old lady Dochia. One of them claims Dochia is an old woman who daily scourges her young daughter-in-law. Once, on 1st March, Dochia sends her to wash black wool until it gets white. The daughter-in-law goes to the river and washes the wool until her fingers start bleeding but the wool stays black. An angel takes pity on the poor young woman. The angel gives her a white flower and tells her to touch the black wool with it and the wool will turn white. Seeing her daughter-in-law with the flower in her hand, Dochia thinks spring has come and goes up the mountain with the sheep.

She puts on nine thick sheepskins to keep her warm. But while climbing the mountain the weather gets either too warm, or too cold, it rains and her sheepskins turn wet and heavy. Dochia takes them off, one by one, until she is dressed only with her shirt. Frost comes and Dochia freezes, being turned into stone, together with her sheep, as remembrance for what happens to mean people.

So, the days between 1st and 9th March represent the time when Dochia fulfills her destiny, climbing the mountain, together with her sheep, to die for rebirth. The instability of weather during this time is due to her freakish character.

We still keep the tradition in my family. Sometimes it’s funny how my husband tries to check the weather forecast ahead to be able to pick a sunnier day. Sometimes it fits, other times it doesn’t. We have a lot of fun on this topic.

Another thing I should mention in connection with the day of 9^th March, when Dochia dies. On this day women bake a sort of small cakes having the shape of number 8. They are called mucenici/martyrs. It’s dough and sprinkled with grind nuts and honey on top. They represent the spirit of wheat brought as sacrifice to a solar deity. I think this meaning was lost along the time and is considered more as a remembrance of the dead people in one’s family.

Another more exotic custom on 9^th March, especially in the countryside, says that men should drink 40 or 44 glasses of wine. This is a reminiscent of the ancient Bacchic celebrations. This too, has lost the ancient meaning. I wonder if men have any idea where the custom originated. One thing is clear - they have an excuse to drink.

Mysterious Romania (XXI) The Ones That Weren't on the TLC Show - Christmas Carols

The Romanian word "colinda”( Carol) has, it seems, the origin in the Latin Calendae a name given to the old pagan New Year holiday.  It was the custom to wish the other people prosperity and happiness for the coming year. It was also customary to give gifts to the carolers. This custom is present up to this day in Romanian lore. Carolers receive small dough pretzels, apples and nuts.

The Romans celebrated at this time of the year The Sun’s Birth. It was the moment when the sun was at its lowest in the south hemisphere and then started towards the north like a rising movement.

The Roman Calende were festivities dedicated to the Sun, and the gifts given to carolers are all round, as symbols of he sun. Carolers, men and boys, visited, for six days, all the houses of the community. They sang standing in a circle. At the end of these six days, they had  accomplished a circling of the village, the main symbolism of this ritual being of protection. Later, to it was added the meaning of blessing and Christ’s birth.

                                       The carols above, some of the most known in Romanian  tradition, are sung by: a famous Romanian  professional choir, a folkloric group and a children choir. 

                                            Enjoy!

 

 I wish all the readers of my blog a Merry Christmas, full of health and wealth!

Mysterious Romania (XX) Christmas Time in Romania

 

The whole month of  December is a festive period for Romanians.
 Celebrations start already on 30th November, St. Andrew’s day. On 1st December is Romania’s National Day. On 5th December, in the evening, children wait for the arrival of St. Nicholas/Mos Nicolae who leaves gifts in their shining boots. 6th December is St. Nicholas's day. Winter festivities end on January 7, with the celebration of Saint John.  

 Christmas evolved over two millennia into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian, pagan traditions into the festivities along the way. Today, Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts. Only around half of those who celebrate view it as a religious holiday, while one-third see it as a cultural celebration, rather than one of faith.

 Romania is  rich, especially in rural areas, in traditions. I already described them in a previous post. Some traditions have  been forgotten, while some have taken a different shape. The legendary visit of the three Magi – traditionally the Epiphania- has an echo in our days in the tradition of gifts giving. Romanians share gifts usually on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus – a more modern tradition – exists in Romania, although during the communist period Santa was replaced with the Frost Man (Mos Gerila).

 Children go caroling on Christmas Eve. Carolers have bells, whips and drums and make noise to dispel the evil spirits. From Christmas until Epiphany, they also visit the houses in the neighborhood singing the Carol of The Star and other religious carols, holding a stick with a Star made of cardboard or other materials on top of it. On the first day of the New Year they walk again from house to house chanting a song about luck, throwing rice in the doorways of their receivers.
You may listen to a group of children singing the traditional Carol Steaua/The Star

Mysterious Romania (XVII) Name Day

There’s a tradition in Romania that, I’m almost certain, is unique.

While people living in other countries celebrate  only their birthday, Romanians can have a second celebration – the name day.

It is valid for people who were given the name of a saint: Maria (Mary), Ion ( John), Vasile(Basil), Petre (Peter), Gheorghe(George), Andrei(Andrew) and so on.

Each saint has his or her day in the calendar, so on that date the people with a saint name have a party.

While for birthdays you have to be invited to go to that person’s house, on the name day everyone who wants to congratulate the celebrated person can come. There are no invitations. Usually people bring flowers and candy-boxes to women and  flowers and drink bottles to men. ( You may imagine how happy are florists around here).

 

On 26th October, tomorrow, there’s a great festivity as there’s St Dumitru’s day( Demeter). All women and men called Dumitra, Dumitru, Dumitrita celebrate and receive gifts from family and friends.

 Folk tradition says that, on this day, warmth goes inside the earth and cold comes out. St Dumitru takes the leaves out of the trees and makes the flowers go dry.  On this day the doors are unlocked and winter is released on earth. 

Fire has a great symbolism now. Fire is a pastoral divinity protecting the shepherds and purifying the sheep.

On St Dumitru’s Eve people start a night  ceremonial fire called Samedru’s fire.

Children jump over the fire, when the flames aren’t high, to be healthy all along the year. The old people of the village throw a piece of cinder from that fire in the garden to give it the power to bear fruit again the next spring.

This ceremony is century old and has a preChristian origin. In ancient times people started the fires to allow the spirits of the dead, coming on earth, to get warm.  

On St Dumitru’s Eve, shepherds lay a sheepskin down, among the sheep. If a black sheep comes and sits on it the winter will be mild, if a white sheep comes and sits on it the winter will be a harsh one.

Women must share dry fruits, nuts and apples to the children and a special service is held in churches.

 Wishing all who celebrate their name day tomorrow – my husband included -  a long healthy life, full of joy!

And here’s the traditional Romanian wish -  

                     Sa traiesti cu numele!