Romanian Easter TraditionsBy: Bojian Ioana, Nedelcu Denisa and Munteanu Alina

THE EASTER BUNNY

• The Easter Bunny is a fantasy character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. The Easter Bunny is sometimes depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his basket, candy and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Santa Claus as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holiday. In many church services on Easter Sunday, a live rabbit representing the Easter Bunny, is brought into the congregation, especially for the children's message.

Easter eggs

• Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime. In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolized the sealed Tomb of Christ — the cracking of which symbolized his resurrection from the dead. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal Vigil and distributed to the faithful.

Traditional Easter Food

• Drob, is a traditional Romanian dish similar to a haggis made of minced lamb's offals wrapped in caul and roasted like a meatloaf. At Easter, is customary to sacrifice a lamb, so the lamb's drob is served at Easter as a traditional Easter dish.

Matzo (Pasca)

• Matzo is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish religious law.

The resurrection of Jesus

• The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ miraculously returned to life on the Sunday following the Friday on which he was executed by crucifixion. It is the central tenet of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures".

Sheep (Lamb)

• Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. This animal is sacrificed on Easter day.

Curiosities

a) In the Easter night people go to Church.

b) 76% of people eat chocolate bunny ears first, 5% eat the feet and the remaining eat the tail.

c) The first chocolate egg was made in Germany, in 19 century.

• In Romania in the Easter day people bump Easter eggs and say :

“Hristos a Inviat!Adevarat a Inviat!”

(“Christ is risen True rose”)