Traditions

The Tradition Section contains documents related to the many, often religious, traditions in Romania. Romania celebrates a large number of holidays, each with its own traditions.

Holidays

The following month-by-month list serves as a table of contents for the holiday traditions of which I'm aware. The list is in order by the date (or range of dates) of the particular holiday. It's not an exhaustive list by any means, however.

January (ianuarie)

In folk tradition, January is often called Gerar due to the frosty weather common during this month (in Romanian, ger means "frost" and geros means "frosty").

February (februarie)

The ancient name for February was Faur or Faurar, which is the old Romanian word for "ironsmith." During February, the ironsmith prepares the agricultural tools that will be needed in the spring for tilling the ground and planting the crops.

But February is also known for the frost that gives birth to new shapes.

March (martie)

The ancient name for March was Mărţişor. Today the name is used to designate the traditional custom of celebrating the arrival of spring by wearing a lucky amulet made with red and white colored braided threads.

Mărţişor has as its root word mâţişor, which is the word for the small buds that appear on flowers and trees in the springtime.

April (aprilie)

The ancient name for April was Prier, which is related to the weather. If April's weather is too cold for planting seeds, then the farmers refer to April as the traistă-n băţ (the "bag on a stick"), fearing that the future harvest will leave them in poverty.

The weather conditions in April are also believed to portend the type of weather to expect in May. For example, if the weather in April is cold, then May's weather will be beautiful. But if the weather in April is warm, then May's weather will be cold and frosty.

May (mai)

May is the month of luxuriant vegetation, which is why it os often associated with flowers, leaves, and herbs. May is a very good time of the year for working in the fields and orchards, or tending to the animals.

June (iunie)

June reminds us of the goddess Juno (in Romanian, Iuno), the protector of married women. However, in popular tradition, because this is the time of year when cherries ripen, June is sometimes called cireşăr, meaning the "month of the cherry."

July (iulie)

The ancient name of July was cuptor ("oven") due to the high temperatures that prevail during July. This is the time of year when crops are most often harvested.

August (august)

Occasionally, folk tradition refers to the month of August as gustar (in Romanian, the verb a gusta means "to taste").

September (septembrie)

Sometimes September is called răpciune, meaning the beginning of the colder season. However, occasionally it is also called viniceriu because September is also the month for turning grapes into wine.

October (octombrie)

In folk tradition, October is called brumarel, which in general refers to the hoarfrost that sometimes appears this month (see also November below).

October represents the month when coldness usually begins to dominate the weather. And almost all of the work done during October is directed toward preparing for winter's onslaught.

If the leaves of the trees turn red or yellow early, then the next year will prove to be rich or lucky.

If it rains a lot during October, it means that December will be windy. If October brings hoarfrost or even snow, then January's weather will be pleasant.

November (noiembrie)

Like October, folk tradition often refers to November as brumar or promorar. In Romanian, the words brumă and promoroacă mean "hoarfrost" and "white frost" respectively. November is the month when frost is most likely to be seen.

An interesting character appears in some folk poems, where during November he kisses summer's flowers, causing them to wither and die.

December (decembrie)

The ancient name for December is undrea, which comes from the celebration of Saint Andrew on the last day of the previous month. In Romanian, his name was anciently Undrea (the same name given to December), but over many years his name changed to Andrea. Today his name has changed again, this time to Andrei. But his ancient name (Undrea) remained the folk name for December.

December is a month of bitter cold and snow in Romania, leaving the peasant very little to do during the long, winter nights. To pass the time, many of the peasants participate in rituals and spiritual preparations.

Go Elsewhere

At this point, you have a couple of options:

  • Return to the Culture Department to choose another section.
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