Things to do
Customs, Traditions & Crafts
The artistic, aesthetic dimension of life is fully appreciated by the Romanians. The traditional folk Romanian art has presented itself throughout the years under different aspects, starting with wood carving, embroideries, fabrics, carpets and ending with painted eggs, ceramics and glass paintings. Areas extremely rich in such traditions and customs are Bucovina, Maramureş, Transylvania – especially the areas around Sibiu and Braşov, Oltenia and Banat
Apuseni and Maramureş mountains are the home of an old tradition of wood processing. In these areas, expression of the wood processing masterliness are the famous monumental gates, the houses, the fences, the furniture items and the triptychs built at road junctions. The existence of such wood architecture is not surprising in a country so rich in forests. The wooden churches built in the Northern and Western areas of Romania are amazing due to their elegance, the way the structural elements are combined and due to their ingenious decorations.
Traditional folk costumes present a wide diversity from one area to another. The costumes have vivid colours when being worn by young women and darker shades when worn by old women. The costumes include minute embroideries made on big fabric pieces, usually around the neck, on the chest, sleeves and shoulders, and the ”ia” (the peasant embroidered blouse) can still be seen worn along with modern clothes.
In Romania, ceramics tradition has been for thousands of years. Truly exquisite are the Horezu ceramics (Oltenia), with the famous motif of ”The cock of Hurez”, and the black ceramics from Marginea (Bucovina).
The rites celebrating the three crucial moments of human existence – birth, marriage and death – are accompanied by a series of customs and magic and religious practices. On the occasion of the main Christian holidays, of the New Year and other celebrations during the year, numerous traditions and customs take place.
Before Easter, the housewives do the spring cleaning in the whole house, paint the eggs and prepare traditional food. At midnight, the people gather in the church and take part into the Resurrection service, a moment full of spirituality. Then, carrying lit candles, symbolizing Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, everybody makes for their homes to properly celebrate, together with the entire family. At lunch red eggs are broken and everybody eats all sorts of food made of lamb, such as the borscht, roast, haggis, Easter cake and flavoured sponge cakes for desert. The Easter spent at the monasteries from Bucovina, on the Olt valley or in Dobrogea is a unique experience.
The second great Christian celebration, much more dynamic and picturesque, is Christmas. Starting with December the 6th, on Saint Nicholas, villages all over Romania are real stages for spectacular traditions. During the same period the first snow falls and everything dresses up in a brilliant snow mantle. The village lanes echoes with the crystal clear voices of children singing carols at the gates of the householders, who meet the little cheek blushing singers with fruit, pretzels and money.
On Christmas Eve, the oven throb in the heat of burning wood, spreading the scent of the force-meat rolls in cabbage leaves, the smell of roast and the cinnamon and rum perfume of sponge cakes. The peasants go to their houses, and the evenings are spent by the fireside, telling stories. The winter holidays end on January the 6th, on Epiphany, holiday celebrating Christ’s Baptism. On this day, the priests throw a wooden cross adorned with fir branches into the water and some young men race to get the cross back from the deep of the still frozen waters. It is said that the one who finds the cross will enjoy the divine protection all year to come.
Apart from these, in the Romanian villages there are also celebrated the ancient agro-pastoral events: Sâmbra Oilor (the moving of flocks to and from an Alpine pasture), Tânjaua (spring custom from Maramureş), Sânzienele (ancient solar holiday), Târgul de fete (The Fair of Girls) from Găina Mountain.
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