Diary of Romanian Festivities

1
Diary of Romanian Festivities
By Chiriac Andreea Secuianu Alina Petrescu-Miron
Mihai Mocanu ?tefan Pîrau Dan Uleru George Iulian
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Product made for the projectIntercultural
Dialogue as a Means to Develop Creativity and
Innovation
This project has been funded with support from
the European Commission.This publication
reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained
therein.
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Saint Basil - 1st of January
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the
Great, was the bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in
Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He
was an influential 4th century Christian
theologian and monastic. Theologically, Basil was
a supporter of the Nicene faction of the church,
in opposition to Arianism on one side and the
followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea on the
other. His ability to balance his theological
convictions with his political connections made
Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene
position.
During the Christmas period until St. Basils
Day (January 1st ) in Maramures, the magical
practice is known as the tying up of the beast
in the forest, which consists of laying a loaf
of ritual bread, named High Steward, on the
table, which is then tied with an iron chain.
After 8 days, on New Years Day, the loaf of
bread is cut into slices eaten by children and
animals, and the chain is put in front of the
stable, so that the cattle may step over it.
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Epiphany 6th of January
Epiphany is celebrated by both the Eastern
and Western Churches, but a major difference
between them is precisely which events the feast
commemorates. For Western Christians, the feast
primarily commemorates the coming of the Magi
Eastern churches celebrate the Baptism of Christ
in the Jordan. In both traditions, the essence of
the feast is the same the manifestation of
Christ to the world (whether as an infant or in
the Jordan), and the Mystery of the Incarnation.
Epiphany is a Christian feast day which
celebrates the revelation of God in human form in
the person of Jesus Christ.
It falls on January 6 or on a Sunday close to
that date. January 6 in the Julian Calendar,
which is followed by some Eastern Churches,
corresponds at present to January 19 in the
Gregorian Calendar, which is the official civil
calendar in most countries. On this day, Western
Christians commemorate principally the visitation
of the Biblical Magi to the child Jesus, i.e.,
his manifestation to the Gentiles Eastern
Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in
the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to
the world as the Son of God. It is also called
Theophany, especially by Eastern Christians.
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Valentine's Day 14th of February

• Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on
  February 14 by many people throughout the world.
  In the English-speaking countries, it is the
  traditional day on which lovers express their
  love for each other by sending Valentine's cards,
  presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.
  The holiday is named after two among the numerous
  Early Christian martyrs named Valentine.

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Dragobete 24th February
. While Valentines Day is mostly related to
people and their actions in the name of love, the
Romanian holiday dedicated to love, Dragobete, is
strongly connected to nature. Celebrated on
February 24th, it is linked to that special time
of year when birds build their nests and mate. As
the first signs of spring show, nature and man
restart the cycle of life and love
Dragobete was the son of Baba Dochia.
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Mar?i?or 1st of March
Nowadays, men offer women a talisman object also
called Martisor, consisting of a jewel or a small
decoration like a flower, an animal or a heart,
tied to a red and white string. However, giving a
little nickel tied to a red and white string is
an old custom and was originally designated for
both men and women. It was believed that the one
who wears the red and white string will be
powerful and healthy for the year to come. The
decoration is a symbol of the coming spring. A
woman wears it pinned to her blouse on this day
and up to two weeks after. In some parts of
Romania such as Moldova or Bukovina the symbol of
spring was a gold or silver medal which was worn
around the neck.
Martisor is the traditional celebration of the
beginning of the spring in Romania, Moldova,
Bulgaria and Macedonia, on 1 March. The day's
name is the diminutive of March (in Romanian
Martie), and thus means something like "little"
or "dear March".
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International Women's Day 8th of March
Started as a political event, the holiday
blended in the culture of many countries
(primarily Russia and the countries of former
Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost
its political flavour, and became simply an
occasion for men to express their love to the
women around them in a way somewhat similar to
Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed
together. In others, however, the political and
human rights theme as designated by the United
Nations runs strong, and political and social
awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are
brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.
International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on
March 8 every year. It is a major day of global
celebration for the economic, political and
social achievements of women.
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Easter
Easter is the most important annual religious
feast in the Christian liturgical year. According
to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected
from the dead on the third day of his
crucifixion. Christians celebrate this
resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday, two
days after Good Friday and three days after
Maundy Thursday. Easter also refers to the season
of the church year called Eastertide or the
Easter Season. Traditionally the Easter Season
lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until
Ascension Day but now officially lasts for the
fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the
Easter Season is known as Easter Week or the
Octave of Easter. Easter also marks the end of
Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and
penance. Easter is the most important
celebration of the Romanian people and it is
preceded by numerous preparations and rituals.
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May Day 1st of May
May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several
public holidays. In many countries, May Day is
synonymous with International Workers' Day, or
Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and
celebrations organised by the unions and
socialist groups. May Day falls exactly half of
a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day
which is also associated with various northern
European pagan and neopagan festivals such as
Samhain. May Day marks the end of the
uncomfortable winter half of the year in the
Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally
been an occasion for popular and often raucous
celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent
political or religious establishment.
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Europe Day 9th of May
In Europe, Europe Day is an annual celebration
of peace and unity in Europe. There are two
separate Europe Days, taking place on 5 May and 9
May, established by the Council of Europe (CoE)
and the European Union (EU) respectively. For the
EU, the day is also known as Schuman Day. The
Council of Europe's day reflects its own
establishment in 1949, while the European Union's
day celebrates the day the EU's predecessor was
proposed in 1950. Europe Day is one of a number
of European symbols designed to foster unity
among Europeans.
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Saint Constantine and Helena21th of May
Constantine began the Roman Empire's unofficial
sponsorship of Christianity, which was a major
factor in the faith's spread. The Orthodox
Church keeps his feast on May 21, along with his
mother, Empress Saint Helen.
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Childs Day 1st of June
Children's Day is an event celebrated on various
days in many places around the world.
International Children's Day is celebrated on
June 1 and Universal Children's Day is on
November 20. The holiday is simply set to honor
children and minors.
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Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel
Michael was regarded as the Chief of the Order
of Virtues, Prince of the Presence, Chief of
Archangels, the Angel of Repentance,
Righteousness, Mercy, and Sanctification. He is
also Ruler of the 4th Heaven and Conqueror of
Satan. Gabriel is the Angel of annunciation,
resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death and
revelation. In the Gospel of Luke, the Archangel
Gabriel serves as the messenger of God and shares
with Mary that she will give birth to a son of
God whom she will call Jesus, a moment captured
frequently in paintings as the Annunciation.
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Saint Peter and Paul

• Saints Peter and Paul are the principle
  pillars of the Church founded by Christ.
• Saint Paul was chosen to form part of the
  apostolic college by Christ himself on the road
  to Damascus.
• Saint Peter was chosen by Christ to be
  his first Vicar on earth he was endowed with
  powers ofthe keys of the kingdom of heaven

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Saint John the Baptist 24th JuneSânzienele
The Eastern Orthodox believe that John was
the last of the Old Testament prophets, thus
serving as a bridge between that period of
revelation and the New Covenan. They also teach
that, following his death, John descended into
Hades and there once more preached that Jesus the
Messiah was coming, so he was the Forerunner of
Christ in death as he had been in life. According
to Sacred Tradition, John the Baptist appears at
the time of death to those who have not heard the
Gospel of Christ, and preaches the Good News to
them, that all may have the opportunity to be
saved. Orthodox churches will often have an icon
of St. John the Baptist in a place of honor on
the iconostasis, and he is frequently mentioned
during the Divine Services. Every Tuesday
throughout the year is dedicated to his memory
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Eastern
Christian Churches, St John the Baptist is
usually called St John the Forerunner, a title
used also in the West. This title indicates that
the purpose of his ministry was to prepare the
way for the coming of Jesus Christ. In the East
also, the Feast of his Nativity is celebrated on
24 June. It is a major feast day and is
celebrated with an All-Night Vigil. It has an
Afterfeast of one day. The feast always falls
during the Apostles' Fast.
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The Dormition of the Theotokos15th of August
The Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos
is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox
Church, celebrated on August 15. This feast,
which is also sometimes called the Assumption,
commemorates the death, resurrection and
glorification of Christ's mother. It proclaims
that Mary has been "assumed" by God into the
heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her
spiritual and bodily existence.
The feast is preceded by 14 days of strict
fasting, with the exceptions that fish is eaten
on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6).
On weekdays before the feast, either the Great
Paraklesis (service of supplication) or the Small
Paraklesis is celebrated.
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The Nativity of the Theotokos8th of September

• The Holy Virgin and Theotokos Mary was born to
  elderly and previously barren parents by the
  names of Joachim and Anna, in answer to their
  prayers.
• The Nativity of the Theotokos is one of the
  Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated
  on September 8.
• The feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos,
  therefore, is a glorification of Mary's birth, of
  Mary herself and of her righteous parents. It is
  a celebration as well of the very first
  preparation of the salvation of the world. For
  the "Vessel of Light," the "Book of the Word of
  Life," the "Door to the Orient," the "Throne of
  Wisdom" is being prepared on earth by God himself
  in the birth of the holy girl-child Mary.

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Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki26th of October
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki was a Christian
martyr, who lived in the early 4th
century. During the Middle Ages, he came to be
revered as one of the most important Orthodox
military saints, often paired with Saint George.
His feast day is 26 October for Christians
following the Gregorian calendar and 8 November
for Christians following the Julian
calendar. The spelling "Demetrius" is a
romanization of the ancient Greek pronunciation
the Byzantine and Modern Greek pronunciation is
romanized as Dimitrios.
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Saint Andrew November 30th
The name "Andrew", like other Greek names,
appears to have been common among the Jews from
the second or third century BC. The official
stance of the Romanian Orthodox Church is that
Andrew preached the Gospel to the Daco-Romans in
the province of Dobrogea (Scythia Minor), whom he
converted to Christianity. Nevertheless, these
claims that are supported by little historical
evidence, are usually part of the nationalist
protochronism ideology, supported by the Orthodox
Church, which argues that the Church has been a
companion and defender of the Romanian people for
all of their 2000-year history.
Andrew the Apostle, called in the Orthodox
tradition Protokletos, or the First-called, is a
Christian Apostle and the brother of Peter the
Apostle.
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National day of Romania December 1st
For the Romanian people, the year 1918
represents the triumph of the national ideal
after a long time of fights and human and
material sacrifices for achieving the national
unitary state. This historical process developed
on the entire Romanian area scored important
marks in 1784, 1821, 1848-49, the unification of
Moldavia with Muntenia in 1859, the Proclamation
of the Absolute Independence after the 1877-78
war and the representative meetings
democratically selected of the Romanians living
under foreign domination in Chisinau, Cernauti
and Alba Iulia in 1918.

• December 1st is the National day of
  Romania.

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Great Union Day 1st of December
Great Union Day occurring on December 1,
is the national holiday of Romania. It
commemorates the assembly of the delegates of
ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, which
declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania.
In Communist Romania, the date of the
national holiday was set to August 23 to mark the
1944 overthrow of the pro-fascist government of
Marshal Ion Antonescu.
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Saint Nicholas December 6th
The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on
6 December, is a festival for children in many
countries in Europe related to surviving legends
of the saint, and particularly his reputation as
a bringer of gifts. In Romania children typically
leave their boots on the windowsill on the
evening of December 5. By next morning Nicholas
leaves candy and gifts if they have been good, or
a rod (Romanian nuielusa) if they have been bad
(most kids end up getting small gifts but also a
small rod). St. Nicolas is also the protector
saint of our highschool.

• Saint Nicholas is the common name for Nicholas of
  Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra. Because of the
  many miracles attributed to his intercession, he
  is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker.

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Constitution Day of Romania December 8th
The 1991 Constitution enshrined the return to
democracy after the fall of the Communist regime.
The draft was composed by a committee of
parliamentarians and constitutional law
specialists was approved by Parliament, meeting
as a Constituent Assembly, by a vote of 414 to 95
on 21 November 1991, being published in Monitorul
Oficial the same day and was approved by
referendum on 8 December 1991, with 77.3 voting
in favour. The 1991 Constitution contains 7
titles and 152 articles. Romania is defined as a
national, sovereign, independent, unitary and
indivisible state. The form of government is the
republic, the president having up to two
five-year terms.

• Constitution Day of Romania was
  celebrated for the first time in 1995, as a
  decision of the Parliament.

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Christmas December 25th
Even in countries where there is a strong
Christian tradition, Christmas celebrations can
vary markedly from country to country. For many
Christians, a religious service plays an
important part in the recognition of the season.
Family reunions and the exchange of gifts are a
widespread feature of the season. Gift giving
takes place on Christmas Day itself in most
countries. The most famous and pervasive of the
figures associated with Christmas in modern
celebration worldwide is Santa Claus, a mythical
gift bringer, dressed in red, whose origins have
disputed sources. The Christmas tree is often
explained as a Christianisation of pagan
tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter
Solstice, which included the use of evergreen
boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship.
Romanian Christmas food generally use pork
(except Advent food). Pork meat, animal's
organs, fat and blood. Everything swine has
inside is used. Some of them are used for
Christmas holidays, others are prepared to be
eaten later, till in spring.

• Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday,
  celebrated on December 25, that commemorates the
  birth of Jesus of Nazareth. In Christianity,
  Christmas is the festival celebrating the
  Nativity of Jesus

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Saint Stephen December 27th
Acts of the Apostles tells the story of how
Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin (high priests)
for blasphemy against Moses and God and speaking
against the Temple and the Law. He was stoned to
death by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of
Tarsus, the future Saint Paul. Saint Stephen's
name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos,
meaning "crown". Traditionally, Saint Stephen is
invested with a crown of martyrdom for
Christianity he is often depicted in art with
three stones and the martyrs palm. In Eastern
Christian iconography, he is shown as a young
beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's
vestments, and often holding a miniature church
building or a censer.

• Saint Stephen, known as
• the Protomartyr of
• Christianity, is venerated as
• a saint in the Roman
• Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran
• and Eastern Orthodox
• Churches. He was one of the
• first in the early Church to wear
• the title Archdeacon.