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ROMANIAN TRADITIONS VS. AMERICANTRADITIONS

WINTER CELEBRATIONS

Elev:Simionescu Alin-Florin

Clasa: a XII-a AProf. coordonator: Bratu Florentina

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In rural Romania you can experience a way of life which vanished

from the west nearly a century ago. Few people in today's world maintainand cherish their age-old customs, as do the villagers of Romania. Hardly a

week goes by without a religious or secular festival somewhere in Romania

and winter celebrations are some of the most important events of the year.

Americans are not afraid of new ideas. They built the first skyscrapers

and they put the first man on the moon. They like to be modern, but they

also love old things. Christmas and New Years Eve are also important

celebrations for them since these celebrations reunite american families for

at least a traditional meal.

Introduction

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Christmas is a very important holiday for Christians: it is the celebration of

Jesus birth, a time of joy, peace and quietness of the soul. We celebrate Christmas with great pomp, hope, joy, traditional dishes and

delicious recipes. Christmas dinner is something holy forRomanians.

Traditionally, the pig is killed on St. Ignatius day (December 20th), an

important moment that anticipates Christmas. St. Ignatius day is dedicatedto meat preparation and cure. Men and women begin to cut and prepare

bacon, caltabosi (pork entrail sausages) and sangerete (pork sausage

prepared with some blood).

Romanian Christmas Traditions

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Decoration of the Christmas tree

One of the most important moments of the

24th December evening is to decorate the

Christmas tree when all the members of thefamily are usually present.

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Colinda

In the night from December 23 to 24, from midnight to the break of dawn,the streets of the villages are full of the voices of little carol singers.With their bags on their back, they stop at every house, in front of every lightedwindow, and yell: Good Morning on Christmas Eve! Trick or Treat! and if the host is nothurrying to share them the presents, they start to sing the traditional song.Afterwards, the owners share the traditional Christmas gifts: apples, nuts, pretzels andthe Hogmanay, prepared out of wheat meal, made in the night before.Although the text of all colinde is concerned with the events of the Nativity, certainelements of the folk rituals performed around Christmas are probably pre-Christian in

origin, having their roots in the Roman Saturnalia and pagan rituals related to the wintersolstice and soil fertility.Examples of colinde with religious subject are "Astzi s-a nscut Hristos" (Today Christ wasborn), "MoCrciun cu plete dalbe" (Santa Claus with white hair) and "O, ce vesteminunat!"(O, what wonderful news!)

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Since Christmas, and until Epiphany, children visit every house of the village with the Star an old

habit, encountered at several Christian nations.

The star is a symbol of the star that forecasted the birth of Baby Jesus in the crib from

Bethlehem, and that guided the three Sorcerers.

The songs of the star are sung in the night of December 24 to 25, put they might continue until

December 27. Groups of two (star-ists) or three children(sorcerers) start their journey with the

Star, not only in their village, but often in the neighbour villages, announcing the Birth of Messiahto everybody

The well-known verses represent the final part of the carol(unfortunately, the complete

form of the carol has disappeared)

The Star

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Soon after Thanksgiving people start sending Christmas cards and decorate

their houses.

Almost every American home has a Christmas tree. German soldiers

started this tradition in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War of 1776.

On Christmas Eve many people go to church and sing Christmas carols,

and the President gives his Christmas message on TV.

Parents tell children that Santa Claus will come to their house in the night

and leave presents for them.

American Christmas traditions

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On Christmas Day people open their presents and then they prepare a

traditional dinner of turkey or ham with vegetables, salads, and desserts.There are also special cookies, candies, nuts, and fruits.

During the day many families watch special Christmas TV and children play

with their new toys. Some people go ice-skating or drive around town to

look at the decorations. Many Christmas customs in the United States have been adopted from

those in the United Kingdom, although customs from other countries are

also found.

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Many Christmas-related tourist attractions, such as the

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and elaborate animated

department store windows in New York City are heavily visited by

non-Christian tourists from all over the world.

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The celebration of the New Year's Eve in Romania has a totally traditional

flavor. Romanians welcome the New Year with the customs, rituals andconventions that have been around for centuries. The children as well as

the adults, take part in the joyous celebrations with great enthusiasm.

On New Year's Eve in Romania, small school going children sing Plugusorul

and Sorcova. The songs wish good luck, happiness and success. The day also has goat's game, the bear's game and the masks' game as

part of the festivities. These are also old Romanian customs.

New Years Day in Romania

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In America, on this day, families and friends meet for a meal.

A common custom is to make promises for the New Year. People say: I will

work harder, or I wont smoke this year. But they often forget these

promises on January 2nd.

On New Years Day there are big football games and colorful parades. Not

everyone can go to see them, so many people watch them on television.

New Years Day in America

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Within South Eastern Europe however, Romania preserved a

significant number of traditional customs and winter celebrationsmanifest within the strong community of the village.

Americans have their own customs, more modern compared to ours,

but with great value since more and more people adopt the american

lifestyle.

Each traditional peoplehas its own identity, history, shared memory and

territory. Tradition is the most fundamental form by which identity is

shaped.

Conclusions