Romanian Christmas Traditions

Christmas represents the special moment in our life and it is a festival that teaches us to live in peace and harmony. It is the wonderful and amazing festival to spend time with your loved ones and celebrate it with beautiful lights, Christmas trees, candles, feasts, parties, carols and prayers in the church. The most important feature of these celebrations is their unique variety of colorful Romanian customs, traditions, and beliefs, of artistic, literary, musical, and other folklore events, which make the winter holidays some of the most spectacular and spiritual expressions of the Romanian people.

Let us know the various Romanian Christmas traditions.

1.The Pig Sacrifice
Day before the beginning of holidays in winter season, a pig is sacrificed takes place. This is done on December 20th which is called as the day of St. Ignatius. This pig sacrifice customs usually take place at the countryside. This tradition is being followed from the ancient time. Christianity also conferred it a religious significance, as nobody can taste the food prepared on this day until after the priest has given his blessing.

2.The Goat Dance
This has now become a ritual to bring peace and prosperity in the homes of Romanian people in the year to come. The "Goat" is actually a usually animated young person dressed up in a goat costume. The whole group dances through the streets and from door to door, often with flute music. But originally, the "goat dance" (the killing, mourning, burial and resurrection) was a severe and grim ceremony. People also take pride in wearing the colorful costumes on this occasion.

3.Carol Singing
Christmas' Eve is the time for children to go caroling and the adults stay home to greet them. As they go caroling from house to house, the children receive treats like candy, fruit, baked treats and sometimes even money in appreciation of their performance and as a sign of holiday good will. The adults choose the leader and sing the songs accompanied by dance.

4.The Star Carol
Children make a star using colored paper and decorate it with shiny tinsel. After that they put in its middle an icon of Jesus. The "Star Carol" is a tradition during the 3 days of Romanian Christmas.

5.Bear Custom
In this the person dresses up in the bear costume adorned with red tassels on its ears, on his head and shoulders, acts like a grumbling bear. The person wearing the bear costume is accompanied and followed by a whole parade of characters, among them a child dressed-up as the bear's cub.

6.The Christmas Tree
It is a Romanian tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with lots of decorating items and stuffs in their homes.

Thus these are the famous traditions followed by Romanian people in the Christmas season and thus pray for the coming year to be full of peace and prosperity.