 In some Romanian

areas, on Christmas
Eve, farmers gather
back everything
they’ve lent during the
year. In Mehedinti
county, parents put
coins in their
children’s pockets, in
order for them to have
a beautiful New Year.
 Also, on Christmas Eve,
bread is placed under the
table to bear luck for the
whole familly, and wheat is
placed under the table
cloth, to bring good crops.
 In Romania, Christmas
begins with fasting (as the
majority is represented by
the Orthodox Church),
which takes six weeks (from
November 15th to
December 24th).
 Fasting implies giving up
on meat, eggs and milk, or
like our grandfathers
would say, restraining
from sweet foods.
A true fasting would mean
giving up on physical love,
on alcohol and paying
back any dues. People
from villages don’t listen
to the radio during the
fasting period, they don’t
watch TV and they don’t
throw or go to any parties.
The fasting ends on
Christmas night.
nigh
 On December 20th,
people celebrate "the
Ignat Day." On that day,
they aren’t allowed to do
any work, but prepare the
pork. According to the
tradition, those who are
poor and have no pig
(which is usually
sacrificed and prepared at
the farmer’s home)
should sacrifice another
animal.
 An old belief was that in
the night before Ignat,
the pig dreams of its
knife. Those who are
faint at heart and feel
sorry for the pig are not
allowed to participate in
this ceremony, unless it
dies slowly and its meat is
no longer good.
Grandfathers usually
make the sign of the
Cross on their
grandchildren’s
foreheads, in order for
them to be healthy.
 Men and women start
by cutting and
preparing the lard
bacon, the sausages
and other traditional
specialties. And thus,
begin the preparations
for the Christmas
feast. Housewives
choose meat for their
delicious cabbage
rolls, for steaks, and
the grease for baking
cookies.
 In the old times, children
were given pretzels, nuts
and apples. Today, they
receive money, candy and
cookies. Both parents and
children go carol-singing
on Christmas Eve. The
houses are beautifully
adorned on that eve,
perfectly clean and ready to
receive the carol-singers.
Carol-singing is a ritual
made of ceremonial texts
(carols), dances and
gestures.
 Carols give messages
and wishes of good
health, prosperity, good
crops and the
fulfillment of all
wishes. Carol-singing
is the most widespread
Romanian tradition.
Christmas Eve is a
great opportunity for
Romanians to visit
their friends, neighbors
and relatives.
 In the Romanian Christmas
traditions, within the typical
Romanian family, there is a
lot of love, poetry, fairytales
and respect. Whoever wants
to get to know the Romanian
spirit has to enter a
Romanian house, especially
in wintertime. He will see the
Romanian bowing to the
East, where light comes from,
and how he makes the sign of
the cross before eating, or
how before cutting the bread,
the traditional Romanian
woman makes the sign of the
cross three times.
 There are many, very
beautiful traditions and
customs that focus on
the two great winter
holidays: Christmas, i.e.
the birth of our Lord
Jesus, and the New
Year’s Eve. Customs
and traditions are
common for all places
on the planet…yet the
hearts of the people are
the most important
during a feast.
 As you already know,
many celebrate
Christmas but without
The Celebrated One,
without the One whose
birthday Christmas is.
Feast or no feast…
without the very core of
Christmas which is
Jesus Christ Himself,
Christmas is nothing
but another tradition.