Christmas in Romania

Introduction
Christmas is a Christian holiday and signifies The Born of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In Romania, Christmas is celebrated on December 25.
Both in our country and in the world, Christmas is not only a religious
holiday, is also an occasion to spend time with the loved ones, to make
presents, to share wonderful memories and to wait for Santa Claus.
Also, for romanians Christmas represents a time for traditions and
superstitions passed down from generation to generation.

Carols
On the Christmas Eve, the houses are clean and ready for waiting the
carolers. The carol is the most widespread Christmas tradition, along
with the decoration of the Christmas tree. Carols are the songs with
which children, young people or even adults greet the coming of Christ
on earth.
On the night of December 23rd to December 24th, from midnight until
dawn, the streets of the villages resound with the voice of carolers,
dressed in the traditional dress specific to each region, wishing to the
households, health, happiness and prosperity for the next year and
from which they receive gifts in money or products: nuts, pretzels,
apples, rolls, etc.
Coming from the world of village communities, carols preserve some of
the oldest Romanian poetic achievements. The Mother of God, who
occupies a central place in piety and Orthodox worship, is present
everywhere in Romanian carols, together with her beloved son,
Savior Jesus Christ.
Examples of colinde with religious subjects are "Astăzi s-a născut
Hristos" (Today Christ was born), "Moș Crăciun cu plete dalbe" (Santa
Claus with white tress) and "O, ce veste minunată!" (O, what wonderful
news!).

Food
When it comes to the specific Christmas food, the pork dishes can’t
miss from the table, because they are part of the culinary traditon of
the Romanian people. Even if the traditional dishes may be different
from region to region, you will always find on table: force-meat rolls in
cabbage leaves (sarmale), maize (mamaliga), smoked sausages, smoked
lard (slanina afumata), tripe soup (supa de burta), Romanian sponge
cake (cozonac).

The lent before the Christmas

Lent of the Savior's Birth or Lent of Christmas lasts 40 days and it is carefully
respected by all believers around the world. Through this lent, God gives us the
power to purify the body and soul.
During the lent of Christmas, the belivers can only eat fasting foods and they are
not allowed to taste meat, cheese, eggs . On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,
the food is served without oil and drinking wine is also forbitten.

Christmas superstitions in different areas of Romania

Besides traditions and customs, in the villages there are a lot of
superstitions that are, after all, part of the mystical side of Christmas
magic, for example:
 The water of luck - in the villages of Arges, the houses are
sprinkled with the water of luck, a few days in a row, up to a
week, depending on the difficulties that the family went through
before Christmas;
 Do not borrow household items - on the first day of Christmas, it
is said that it is not good to borrow household items; this
superstition is found in several areas of the country; it is said that
if you do this, you banish your luck;
 Apples bring health - in the popular belief, if you eat on Christmas
Day, apples and, especially, if you put them on the holiday table,
you will be healthy all the coming year;
 Put a coin in the water - on Christmas Eve, put a coin in the spring
water and on the first day of Christmas, wash your face with it; it
is said that, thus, you will have a lucky year, full of success;
 The fire is not extinguished on Christmas Eve - is superstition from
the Banat area and says that on Christmas Eve the fire in the
house must not be extinguished; thus, the coming year will be
very bright;

Conclusion
On Christmas, Romanian families get together and celebrate the
Nativity of Jesus Christ, singing carols dedicated to Him, spend time
together, share ideas and dream about the plans for the new year.
Together they play games and listen to the stories of the eldest,
enjoying at the same time the bright fire burning in the stoves and the
tasty food waiting for them on the table.
From our point of view, the Christmas holiday is a magical moment
and a special opportunity to share love with all the dear ones, relatives
and friends, to offer them hope, patience, strength and to maintain the
warmth of a relationship, even then when these people are away.