“Valeriu Braniste” Technical CollegeLugoj, Romania

romanians”

“Without our customs and traditions, without out costumes and our language we

cannot call ourselves romanians”

Holidays and folk customs, grouped around the winter (December 20 to January 7), are generically called winter holidays. The period begins and ends during holidays prefaced by Christmas Eve, Christmas and Epiphany, and intersecting in the middle of New Year's Eve. The main festivals of the winter cycle - Christmas, New Year, Epiphany - worked over time as independent moments of renewal of time and beginning of the year.

Calendar habits and those of family life are a perennial part of our traditional culture.The holidays between December 6 and January 7 is related to the richest repertoire of habits that are focused around the two old men: Christmas Eve and Christmas. Therefore, a full moon in the tradition is honored. The most common and lavish habits, traditions proved to be those of the great Feast of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.

For all of us, winter is not only snow and cold weather, but also that of joy occasioned by many customs and traditions related to the celebration of the Nativity.Last month of the year, Daylight ,popularly called, is full of religious events of winter customs and habits of old, who resisted passage of time, being taken as such or adapted to modern times. Christmas and New Year also go through a whole ritual of traditions, among which stands out carols, songs, star, various shouts of Pluguşor, which vary from one region to another and even from one village to another.

• Period of Advent, prayer, Christian meditation, during which almost is not usually a day without any remains of ancient times - starting in mid-November. With the start of Advent, the traditional village installs a state of agitation. Work on the field ended long ago, corn was well put in storage in every household, and now all attention is directed towards community preparation activities of the holiday season. Sezatorile also begin.

Before Christmas, the winter holidays begin with Saint Nicholas.

Patron of Greece, Russia and many cities in Western Europe, is one of the most popular saints of Christianity, because of the many miracles both during his life and after his death, being called "Wonderworker", keeping the role of Santa children.St. Nicholas comes from a wealthy family and is known as the protector of the wrongly accused, traders, travelers, maidens, brides and especially small children. It is said that he was often seen dressed in red and white bishop's robes, riding on a donkey and making gifts to the needy.

After timing popular Christmas traditions start the day before Christmas Eve (December 23) when celebrating death which descends from heaven to earth for mankind. After midnight mass is a fasting food (cakes, boiled wheat, beans, etc.) for waiters spirits of the dead. Morning after sanctification table, food is divided to family members and neighbors.All evening of December 23 starts the wandering children, who are considered good luck and happiness: Santa's Eve.Ignatius is followed in natural sequence, the feast of Christmas full of light.

Carols singing is an ancient custom , pre-Christian of course , but in time came to do, they say , good house with Christianity. Songs that attract luck and blessings on people and households for the whole year ahead. In ancient carols were "specialized" ( priest , pastor , big girl , etc. . ) . An important category is strictly about Christmas carols church , evoking the worship of the Magi ( Viflaimul or Nativity Drama - beat your name Bethlehem ) or panic and cunning Herod ( Herods ) , culminating in cutting infant ( the 14000 , which the Church commemorates the 29 December). The scenarios are simple, charming in their naivety . Around the same time , young men walking with " Goat " ( Turkish, Weathercock ) or " bear " in mottled and noisy bands ( reminiscent pagan ) . Star songs that are familiar today (especially " top rising star ..." ) . " Pluguşorul " and " Sorcerer " are related to the renewal of the year , having no connection with religious cycle of Christmas.

Since the night of 23 December 24 at midnight and until dawn streets of small villages singers voice sound .In cities we meet carols from evening until midnight.In the villages, especially, are much better preserved the traditions this time of year. One of the most popular traditions is the Romanian carols, ritual texts composed of ceremonial dances and gestures. So on Christmas Eve, groups of carolers, traditional costumed at the homes of householders wishes for health, happiness and prosperity, fulfillment of wishes in the new year.

Santa's Eve anticipates the coming of Christmas. The first Christmas carols are sung in the night of December 23 to 24.Children of villages and towns, swimming through snowdrifts and huddling cold, go cheerfully, in bands from house to house with the bag by the neck, waiting for the wishes uttered: bagels, coils, apples and nuts. But, for some time, besides the picturesque old usually intervened "choirs" which very often sing .

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Carols send wishes of good health, rich fruit, fulfillment of wishes in the new year. Carols is the most prevalent tradition of Romanians. When people do not get carol carolers, close doors or give gifts, magical effects are opposite, they are breaking the rules of this custom.             In this case, we get a unique custom Romanian territory called "descolindat" upset that they did not receive, carolers utter wishes of ill-fated and ridicule, usually certified by researcher Peter Caraman.

Carol begins in the evening and after some rules . On Christmas Eve carol only children, symbols of purity, the physical and moral cleanliness. It was not until Christmas Day carol young men and women are excluded. Group of carolers is held on the neighborhood and go from house to house, for their greeting is considered auspicious.

Their arsenal consisting of bells, sticks and whips have meant that by the noise to chase away evil forces. In the same context to recall games with masks: goat with its variants - and even camel , giraffe, bear, Little Horses meant to stigmatize all ills in the community. Are also represented occupational profiles: Innkeepers ,coppersmith ,farmer setc. From costume unfailing string of bells, with the same purpose - to remove evil forces

December 24th is Christmas Eve, and the customs of the day are religious. Around this important holidays they listen carols, music for the soul, and received carolers. Since the morning that day until midnight, groups of children between five and fourteen years go by "Christmas Eve" ("Trick or treat ...?") And receive mostly nuts and pretzels.

According to popular belief, Christmas Eve (24 December), the heavens open and make oracular practices for staying away from diseases and crop next year. It is customary that on the Christmas Eve on the meal are put two loaves of bread, salt, fish, wheat and a glass of water to the dead who come to eat. Another popular belief is the threat trees, the men are going to ax trees in garden and threatening that if they did not bear fruit as it should, you cut them.

Also in the night, Santa Claus comes to kids and make them presents under the tree. But nobody knows for sure how Santa gets into people's homes, but all the stories keep the note of mystery. Some children believe that in the window, others think a stick magic helps to make small and penetrate through the keyhole, and others, more cosmopolitan, believes that Santa comes from the chimney.

By:

Gabriel Taran

Dorian Plotnic

Orlando Antoni

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