Christmas in Romania

Romanians decorate the Christmas tree, gather with their loved ones for a Christmas feast, and attend the Midnight Mass. These traditions are well known to everyone.

However, some Romanian Christmas customs may seem bizarre to foreigners, such as pig slaughtering and dancing in a goat costume.

Overall, Christmas in Romania is much merrier than you’d expect from Dracula’s homeland – children sing cheerful carols, people shop at Christmas markets, and the streets glisten in beautiful decorations.

Saint Nicholas Day

Do you know who the origin of Santa Claus is? Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra, located on the territory of modern-day Turkey, became famous for his good deeds and generosity. Saint Nicholas is a patron saint of sailors and children.

According to legends, Saint Nicholas inherited much money from his parents long before he became a bishop. His neighbor was a poor man who had three daughters but didn’t have a dowry.

One night, Saint Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the man’s chimney, which helped him to find a husband for his first daughter. He then repeated this act of generosity twice more but was caught, and everyone found out about his deeds.

December 6 in many countries is celebrated as Saint Nicholas Day, including Romania. Kids anticipate gifts from Saint Nick, which he leaves in boots on the windowsill or at the doorstep.

Usually, the gifts are symbolic, like treats, crayons, or tiny plush toys. However, only good kids receive presents. The naughty kids receive punishment with birch rods or coal.

Christmas Decorations in Romania

A Christmas tree is a must-have in every Romanian home. The custom appears universal, regardless of the Christian denomination and region. However, the decorations differ by country.

In Romania, traditional Christmas tree decorations include baubles, fairy lights, tinsel, sweets in colorful wraps, and candied fruits. Most Romanians buy the tree a couple of days before Christmas to decorate it on December 24.

Many Romanians make Christmas decorations from straw, felt, wood, or paper. Crafting ornaments is fun entertainment for the entire family.

Advent wreaths aren’t very popular in Romania because locals are prevalently Orthodox and don’t observe the Advent tradition. However, you’re likely to see at least one evergreen garland when visiting a Romanian home.

Town municipalities set up creative holiday displays from fairy lights, featuring Christmas characters like Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, and angels. Nights are light as days at Christmas time in Romania because of all the illumination.

Nativity Fast

Although Romanians celebrate Christmas on December 25 like Catholics rather than on January 7, they are prevalently Orthodox Christians under the Patriarchate of Romania. Consequently, they observe the Nativity Fast.

Romanians refrain from meat, oil, dairy, alcohol, smoking, and other temptations for 40 days preceding Christmas. Most importantly, they should free their minds and souls from sin and negativity.

On some days, Romanians get more freedom and are allowed to eat fish with oil and drink a bit of wine, while on other days, the rules are even stricter.

Nativity Fast is a period of penance and almsgiving. The most devoted people pray daily and attend church services on Sundays. However, the custom isn’t as widespread among young Romanians as among the older generations.

Still, even young Romanians fast on Christmas Eve until the first star appears in the sky, representing the star that arose when Jesus was born, fulfilling a prophecy.

Christmas Food in Romania

Food is the focal point of Romanian Christmas celebrations. Traditional dishes are an irresistible temptation for anyone with an appetite for meat and desserts.

Sarmales are cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat, rice, and herbs. Different variations of this dish are popular in the Balkans, Baltic countries, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey, and Greece.

Most Romanian Christmas foods contain pork in some form, whether in stew, sausages, schnitzel, steak, or cutlets. Meat is served with potatoes, sauerkraut, pickled veggies, and tomato sauce on the side.

No Romanian dinner is complete without fermented vegetables. Romanians pickle everything – garlic, mushrooms, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, you name it. They eat it with any dish, and every Romanian house has an entire shelf or two of pickle jars.

One dish frequently misunderstood by tourists is piftia, pork meat in stock jelly, sometimes with veggies. It goes perfectly with mashed potatoes and sour cream.

Cozonac is a sweet bread with walnut cream filling served at every Romanian Christmas dinner. It’s sold in any grocery store and bakery, but locals usually bake one at home.

Romanians don’t typically bake gingerbread or Christmas pudding but have plenty of delicious alternatives. For example, cheese donuts papanasi topped with jam are favored by all local children.

Other unusual Romanian Christmas desserts are plum dumplings and dessert salami, made with nuts, marmalade, chocolate, and biscuits. There’s nothing meaty about this dessert apart from the shape.

Mulled wine and hot chocolate are popular at Christmas, but most Romanians prefer to drink tuica, a traditional Romanian spirit made from plums.

Church Services

Like most Christians, Romanians attend a festive mass on Christmas Eve. The mass begins at about 10 p.m. and ends around midnight, thus the name – Midnight Mass.

People wear formal clothes and gather with family before going out. In church, they listen to biblical passage readings and pray. When the clock strikes midnight, the priest proclaims, “The Christ is born!” and everyone replies with “Truly is born!”.

After the Midnight Mass, people go home to celebrate. Some return to church the next morning for Christmas Day mass.

The Pig Slaughtering

Pork is integral to Romanian cuisine and is the main Christmas dish. For this reason, pig slaughtering is one of the most important Romanian Christmas traditions.

Romanians in rural areas sacrifice a pig for Christmas meals on December 20, Saint Ignatius Day. Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish priest who was canonized as a saint in the 17th century.

Although the ritual is somewhat gruesome, Romanians don’t do it for fun but to feed the family and treat the animal with respect, ensuring no part goes to waste.

The ritual starts with slaughtering the pig, which is then cut into pieces, and its fat is melted. Fat is used instead of butter for frying, and guts are used for making sausages.

Romanians living in cities don’t slaughter pigs but buy pork at local grocery stores or markets.

Gift Exchange

For Romanians, gift exchange isn’t as important as for Americans because it isn’t as deeply rooted in Orthodox culture. Gifts are more common on New Year’s and Epiphany, commemorating the Magi who brought gifts to Jesus.

Still, some people exchange small symbolic gifts with their loved ones. The only ones always receiving gifts are children.

They anticipate toys, gadgets, books, and clothes from Romanian Santa Claus named Moş Crăciun (Old Man Christmas). Romanian Santa looks the same as American Santa and has the same origin.

However, the leaves gifts under the Christmas tree rather than in stockings hanging on the fireplace. Children usually recite Santa a poem or sing a carol to get gifts.

Caroling

Caroling is an ancient Romanian Christmas custom going back to medieval times. Groups of local musicians, primarily in rural regions, go from door to door, singing hymns in exchange for blessings, cookies, pretzels, and drinks.

Many Romanian Christmas carols are familiar to every American but are sung in the Romanian language.

Some hymns are unique to the region, such as O, Ce Veste Minunata! (Oh, What Wonderful News) and Deschide Usa, Crestine! (Open Your Door, Christian!).

Regardless of the origin, Romanians favor carols narrating the nativity story. Popular songs like Jingle Bells and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer don’t often play in Romanian shopping malls and homes.

Star Carol

The Star Carol tradition is related to caroling but deserves special mention. The practice is widespread in the countryside, where young boys walk through the town or village streets holding a large handmade wooden star.

In the middle of the star is an image of the nativity, wrapped in aluminum foil and adorned with bells and colorful ribbons. It’s attached to a broomstick’s end and kept high above the boys’ heads.

Boys sing native Christmas hymns as they walk, but they don’t stop at neighbors’ doorsteps like in the case of traditional caroling.

The Goat Tradition

Another unique Romanian Christmas tradition observed in the countryside is the goat dance Capra. Men and boys wander through villages with drums and brass instruments, playing traditional music.

One man leading the procession is dressed like a goat, wearing a hand-carved wooden mask with real horns and an attire with traditional Romanian prints. He performs a dance meant to ward off evil spirits.

Other procession participants wear masks of horses, bears, and other animals, symbolizing evil forces. These masks are among the most popular souvenirs from Romania.