Together with Easter, Christmas is the most important celebration in Romanian tradition. The religious meaning of Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ is still preserved in Romania and is very important to people. Although Christmas celebrations benefit from the presence of Santa Claus / Father Christmas, and the weeks before 25 December are as much of a shopping bonanza as they are in the UK, however tradition still plays a part in the celebrations. Carols – usually from the folkloric and Orthodox Church tradition – are a must, and so is Christmas food.
Several traditional Romanian Christmas foods: ‘Cozonac’ – a brioche-loaf with chopped walnuts, Turkish Delight and raisins; ‘Sarmale’ – similar to Greek or Lebanese stuffed vine- leaves (dolma), with the difference that the filling is made with rice, spices and minced pork, and the leaves are generally pickled cabbage leaves; ‘Carnati’ – Romanian fresh sausages, just like the British ones, only spicier; ‘Caltabos’ – what one would end up with if crossing a haggis with a sausage.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day have come to signify in Romania THE TIME for an all night party with plenty of food and drinks. Following French traditions of the late 19th century, the New Year’s Eve party is called Reveillon - the big wake, in the sense that one has to stay awake and party all night long.
The traditional celebrations continue until 7 January, with the feasts of St Stephen (26 January), New Year’s Day, St Basil the Great (1 January), the Baptism of Christ (6 January), and St John the Baptist (7 January). In the Orthodox Christian world, of which Romania is part, there are several saints who enjoy a great popularity as patron saints. Hence, their respective feasts are celebrated not only in the church, but also at home, with family and friends. They can be considered as birthday number 2, and at times, they can be more important than birthdays. Such feasts are those mentioned above, the names of the saints being among the most popular names in Romania: St Stephen (in Romanian – Stefan), St Basil the Great (Vasile cel Mare), St John the Baptist (Ion Botezatorul).
The Baptism of Christ (Botezul Domnului, or Boboteaza) then St John’s day mark the end of the winter celebrations. On Christ’s Baptism’s day, special masses outside the churches are held, in which water is consecrated into Holy Water and the faithful are ceremonially baptised by being sprinkled with holy water from a special dried basil-twigs bouquet. In some places, especially where there are rivers and lakes around, the priests will throw a cross into the waters, and young men will jump in to retrieve it.
The one who will bring the cross to the shore is said to be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year.
