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WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St....

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WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA
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Page 1: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA

Page 2: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Winter celebrations• 6th December - St. Nicholas• 20th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs• 24th December – Christmas Eve• 25th December – Christmas• 27th December – St. Stephen• 31st December – New Year’s Eve, “Pluguşorul”, “Capra”• 1st January – St. Basil, “Sorcova”• 5th January – Epiphany Eve• 6th January – Epiphany• 7th January – Saint John

Page 3: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Saint Nicholas

• On the evening of 5th December children prepare their boots in which Saint Nicholas will put gifts. It is said that the saint is traveling with a donkey loaded with two baskets: one filled with candy and toys for good children and another with twigs for children who have not been good. He comes down the chimney and give children sweets or twig. The next morning the children find gifts left by Santa Claus in their boots.

Page 4: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

20th December – St. Ignatius• Christmas pig slaughter is a good demonstration of how a

pagan practice has got to be associated with a Christian holiday.

• In Dacians religion pig was sacrificed as a symbol of the divinity that make the sun to be weak and to be the shortest day of the year, winter solstice. To help the Sun, people sacrificed pigs and feed themselves with pork meat. After that the day was beginning to grow and the Christmas became a celebration of light and life

Page 5: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

20th December – St. Ignatius

Page 6: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

20th December – St. Ignatius

Page 7: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Mistletoe• For Druids, mistletoe was

considered to be a sacred plant and a symbol of eternal life as well as Christmas trees.

• Romanians considered it a symbol of peace, being accepted by the faithful Christians.

Page 8: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Mistletoe• Usually mistletoe is placed above the entrance door

• People believe that it to bring good luck, wealth, and health and attracts angels.

• Kissing under the mistletoe is a symbol of friendship and steadiness, peace and joy.

Page 9: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Christmas Eve

40 days before Christmas, Advent begins during which people don’t eat meat or dairy products. Also during this period the Romanians do house cleaning.

Page 10: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

On the morning of 24th December until the lunch, groups of children between 5 and 14 years sing "Christmas Eve", a short carol sang to every home.

In the evening, after leaving the church (at 18), groups of children go with "Star", a religious carols. The group bears a star, lit from behind with a candle, the star has in center a reproduction of the Nativity.

Page 11: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

PLUGULOn New Year's Eve (31th December)

groups of lads and recently married men go to plough - ancient agrarian custom, which has become a common wish of good harvest for the new year. This custom illustrates one of the main occupations of the Romanian people - agriculture.

Page 12: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

PLUGUŞORUL

• Pluguşorul (for children) – on New Year's Eve groups of children go from house to house to wish bearing whips, bells, etc.. The wish is a long poem in verse showing the sequence of agricultural work - from plowing until the blossoms of trees.

Page 13: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

SORCOVA

It is dedicated to the New Year.

Ritual mark consists of a stick or a green branch which is decorated.

The custom is practiced by children who make wishes of health, wealth and prosperith for the hosts.

Page 14: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

CAPRACapra was considered by

Romanians the animal which shows signs if the weather will be good or bad.

The dance of the "goat" became a ritual meant to bring wealth and good harvest for the new year. Nowadays, the game has remained an opportunity to show off some beautiful ornaments, carpets, towels, etc., in different colors.

Page 15: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

The Bear (Ursul)• The bear’s dance (custom

from Moldova region)• Bear is embodied by a boy

wearing on his head and shoulders a bear’s fur. "Mask" is led by a bear leader, accompanied by music. In the rattle of drums and other instruments, the bear leader provoke the animal which imitates the swaying steps of the bear.

• The custom symbolize the soil purification and fertilization in the new year.

Page 16: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

The fight from Ruginoasa

Page 17: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

New Year’s Eve (REVELIONUL)

On the night of December 31 Romanians celebrate the coming new year. They organize parties and dinners.

On January 1 occurs religious feast of St. Basil.

Page 18: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

New Year’s Eve (REVELIONUL)• In 1691, Pope Innocent XII declared 1st January as the

first day of the year. • The wish for the New Year is "La mulţi ani!"

Page 19: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Epiphany5th January – Eve of Epiphany

Priest goes from house to house and sprinkles holy water in the house and the family.

6th January – Epiphany

The priest sanctifies the water (aghiazma) and with it are sanctified all the waters of the earth. With the holy water are sprinkled the animals and is given to the sick people.

Page 20: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Epiphany• Practiced on 6 January – the custom of cross recovering

from the cold water, thus proving that the guys became men.

Page 21: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

Saint Joan

On 7th January Romanians celebrate Orthodox religious feast of Saint John. He was the one who baptized people in ancient Galilee, announcing the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Page 22: WINTER CUSTOMS IN ROMANIA. Winter celebrations 6 th December - St. Nicholas 20 th December – St. Ignatius, the slaughter of pigs 24 th December – Christmas.

DZIĘKUJE!


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