In Romania, in the Christmas time, carols are sung by a band of carolers. In the traditional community, the group of carolers was mainly made up of unmarried boys. In parallel with them, the children also caroled, the hierarchies and rules of their group reflecting on a smaller scale the organization of the gang of …
For Romanians, grape picking has been, since ancient times, an opportunity to celebrate and to give rein to some customs and superstitions. An ancient custom of the winegrowers in the vineyards of Buzău is that of crushing the grapes with their feet, by young and beautiful maidens. Others, on the first day of picking, give …
Autumn traditions in Romania – grape picking season Read More »
On the 16th of September Romanians celebrate 187 years since the creation of the first Romanian Leu (In translation: Lion). The leu becomes officially the National Romanian Currency on the 16th of September 1835, when Alexandru Ghica, ruler of Vallachia, establishes the Leu, equivalent of 60 parale as a National coin. At that time, Romania …
The game of the bears is an archaic custom that is practiced on New Year’s Eve, especially in Moldova, and consists in the interpretation of a ritual by a group of bears. The bear-riding band is made up of bear-riders disguised as bears, whistlers and drummers, each playing a specific role. Sometimes, in the pack, …
