ROMANIAN TRADITIONS VS.

AMERICAN TRADITIONS

WINTER CELEBRATIONS

Elev:Simionescu Alin-Florin Clasa: a XII-a A Prof. coordonator: Bratu Florentina

Introduction

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 maintain

and 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.

Romanian Christmas Traditions

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 for Romanians. Traditionally, the pig is killed on St. Ignatius day (December 20th), an important moment that anticipates Christmas. St. Ignatius day is dedicated to 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).

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 the family are usually present.

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 lighted window, and yell: Good Morning on Christmas Eve! Trick or Treat! and if the host is not hurrying to share them the presents, they start to sing the traditional song. Afterwards, the owners share the traditional Christmas gifts: apples, nuts, pretzels and the 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, certain elements 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 winter solstice and soil fertility. Examples of colinde with religious subject are "Astzi s-a nscut Hristos" (Today Christ was born), "Mo Crciun cu plete dalbe" (Santa Claus with white hair) and "O, ce veste minunat!"(O, what wonderful news!)

The Star
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 Messiah

to everybody
The well-known verses represent the final part of the carol(unfortunately, the complete form of the carol has disappeared)

American Christmas traditions

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.

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.

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.

New Years Day in Romania

The celebration of the New Year's Eve in Romania has a totally traditional flavor. Romanians welcome the New Year with the customs, rituals and

conventions 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 America

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.

Conclusions

Within South Eastern Europe however, Romania preserved a significant number of traditional customs and winter celebrations

manifest 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 people has its own identity, history, shared memory and
territory. Tradition is the most fundamental form by which identity is shaped.