1. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN ROMANIA

2. SAINT IGNATIUS In Romania winter celebrations take place from the 20 th of December to the 7 th of January. Christmas begins with the tradition of Saint Ignatius Day. St. Ignatius is celebrated on the 20 th of December when people prepare different products made of pork and invite the neighbours to a meal to share the traditional ‘sarmale’ (meatballs in sour cabbage leaves), the sausages and other delicious dishes. There is also the old ritual of sacrificing the pig which celebrates the agrarian spirit.

3. Christmas carols On the 24 th of December children go carol singing. They sing ‘Good morning Christmas’ and they are rewarded with apples, buns, sweets or money.

4. The rules of singing carols are well-set. On Christmas Eve only the children – the symbols of purity – are allowed to go from house to house with bells and whips to sing. The carols are religious verses about Christ’s birth entitled ‘The Star’, ‘In the city of Viflaim’ or ‘The three Eastern Kings’

5. On Christmas Eve the whole family help to decorate the fir tree with globes, tinsel and candy. The children put some milk in a glass and cookies on a plate for Santa Claus who will put the presents under the Christmas tree during the night.

6. On Christmas Day, while the family is gathered around the table, groups of people dressed in traditional costumes go from house to house and perform ritual dances with masks. They are called ‘The Goat’ and ‘The Bear’ and they are supposed to banish all evil from the community.

7. Christ’s Epiphany On the 6 th of January Romanians celebrate the Epiphany. The archbishop throws a cross into the waters of the Black Sea and some brave men dive in to retrieve it. This marks the end of the winter celebrations.