A Travel Writer’s Travel Blog

In Romania, Christmas is linked to the sacrifice of the pig, the carols and the family gatherings. In the rural parts , going to the church is also a big part of Christmas.

On Dec 20 , also called “Ignat”, the pig is sacrificed. In old times, each house would have grown at least a pig for their own consumption, but lately more and more people get the pig from…the supermarket. But in the rural part of the country and mostly in the touristic regions, Ignat is celebrated as it was in the past. The day is complete with drinking “tuica” (plump brandy) and eating “pomana porcului” (a stew made from pork and cabbage). Remember that Orthodox Christians are still during the fast (basically vegan diet) but on this day, they are allowed to “mourn the pig” by eating that stew.

On Dec 24, Christmas Eve, children go caroling to every house in the village. In the big cities, usually bunch of friends gather and go caroling to their loved ones. They are “paid” in sweets, nuts, apples and…money. Carols (colinde) are also sung on New Year’s Day but only in the country side (a special one is called “sorcova”, believed to bring good luck in the New Year - but more about that when the day comes). Very special Christmas carols are: Capra (the goat) and Ursul (the bear) , a mix of dances, drums and chants which have pagan roots rather than Christian. Each region has its own special traditions.

Dec 25 is Christmas Day. In the morning, people go to the Church for the Christmas Mass. Then they celebrate Jesus’s birth with a rich lunch complete with salads, pork and traditional food.

On Christmas morning kids look for the presents under the Christmas Tree. It’s traditional for each house to decorate a tree on Dec 24.

Among the Romanian Christmas food we can find:
* sarmalute -meat filled cabbage rolls, made of sour cabbage , ground pork and rice
* pork roast
* carnati -pork sausages
* cozonac - a “fluffy” cake filled with nuts and many other flavors

Many health-conscious families choose to eat fish on this day rather than pork (that’s exactly my case).

Merry Christmas or how they say it here: Craciun Fericit!

In December 1989, after a week of riots and fights, the communist regime lead by Nicolae Ceausescu was over-thrown. On Christmas Day in 1989 both Nicolae and his wife Elena faced a trial and were executed.

18 years later, Romania is a free country, a democracy, member of the European Union and a place where you can state your opinion, opt to work abroad and use English! yes, you heard it right. during Communism English was considered the language of the “west” and only Russian was supposed to be learned at school.

Thankfully, i was 9 in 1989 and I started learning English few months after the Revolution. I’ve been speaking it ever since. During communist era, my dad has always been a “true hippie” listening to Radio Free Europe (FYI: if you were caught by “Securitate”-secret police that you listed to Free Europe you ended up i jail).

But what had happened in 1989? To be honest, we all know just the “big picture”. The revolution started in Timisoara, then spread to Arad and other cities, finally reaching Bucharest on Dec 21.On that day, after the assembly went “wrong”, Ceausescu was forced to hide in the Central Committee. By 10 AM on Dec 22, martial law was introduced in the entire country. After the Minister of Defense -Vasile Milea -was found dead, Ceausescu appointed Stanculescu in his place. But the presidential couple and some of the “friends” fled Bucharest with a helicopter during Dec 22 heading to the Snagov residence. And from there to Tirgoviste. Something happened and the pilot ditched them near Tirgoviste but the couple sized a car and arrived in Tirgoviste. They entered a building near a local steel plant but an engineer saw them, phoned the police and the couple got arrested.

After a short trial they were sentenced to death - carried out on Dec 25th. There has been a lot of debate whether it was “humane” or “Christian” of the new authorities to kill them on a holy day -although Christianity was sort of “banned” during communism.

Comments aside, we are glad to be able to enjoy our freedom and the possibility to travel and think!

Wishing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the fellow travelers and to all my friend. May all Booties have a lot of fun on their next party (i hope to attend it!) and may all of us gather lovely ... [Continue reading this entry]

intersted in seeing how Arad looks like now? if so, go here . the site is in English and there are 4 webcams. right now 3 are working.

On December 1, Europe's Tallest Christmas Three was set in Bucharest. It's almost 76 m high (about 7 stories up) and weighs 300 tones! If you plan to visit Bucharest, don't miss it! There is a ice skating rink as ... [Continue reading this entry]