Christmas in Romania

In Romania and Republic of Moldavie, Christmas says " Crăciun". The word seems to come from Latin creatio ( creation) but one cannot say it with precision. A legend says that the mother of Jesus entered a church where it met there an old man of the name of " Crăciun". His wife will bring it in a place calms to be able to put at the world her son.

Traditions

Associated to Christmas there are the colinde, of the songs and the wishes of Christmas and new year. The colide are sung in the churches, like song of communion, as from the first day of the Advent, on November 15th.

The sacrifice of the pig after the day of Holy Ignace d' Antioche, on December 20th is one very important moment which prepares Rumanian Christmas. The preparation of food takes the form of an old ritual with essential following food:

sausages (cârnaţi)
chişca
toba
răcituri
sarmale (meat chopped in vineleaves - in cabbage sheets stuffed in alternative)
caltaboşi
cozonaci
red wine
colaci

In Romania, as at all the Eastern ones and the Mozarabs, the Advent last 40 days which ends on December 24th. In the morning, one of the colinde sung is Bună dimineaţa Moş Ajun! ( Hello midnight supper of Christmas! ).

One half-century of prohibition

During Communism, the word Crăciun was banished vocabulary; the Father Christmas (Moş Crăciun) was thus replaced by the Père of Freezing (Moş Gerilă).

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