Easter traditions from Romania

1. EASTER CUSTOMS
AND TRADITIONS
FROM ROMANIA

2. Easter is the most
important Christian
holiday of the year.
The Easter holiday can
be associated with
spring.
The reawakening of
nature symbolizes the
life that Christians
won through the
crucifixion and
Resurrection of Jesus.

3. Easter symbols
• The colored and decorated egg – the symbol of the
Savior who leaves the grave and returns to life, like
the chicken out of the coop; The Lamb – the victory
of life over death; The bunny appears in Germany
around 1590, symbolizing fertility; Lilac – expression
of purity; The butterfly - whose exit from the
chrysalis, in another form, recalls the Resurrection
of Jesus; The candle-light of Christ over the
darkness of sin.

4. On Maundy Thursday, also called Passion Thursday, food
and drink are taken to the church to sanctify themselves
and then to give alms for the souls of the dead. That's also
when the eggs are painted, because it is said that if they
turn red on Maundy Thursday, they will be preserved
without spoiling all year and if one sleeps on this day,
tradition says that the person in question will be lazy all
year. The symbol of the red eggs comes from the passions
of Jesus Christ, who was stoned and turned into red eggs
and when Mary, the mother of the Savior came to the cross
where he was crucified, with a basket of eggs that turned
red from the blood flowing from it.

5. Dyeing Easter eggs is a
tradition spread among
all peoples, the red egg
being a true emblem of
the holiday, linking it to
the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ.

6. On Easter night, the
girls go to the bell
tower and wash the
tongue of the bell
with fresh water.
The girls are then
washed with this
water, at the dawn
of Easter, so that
they will be
beautiful all year
round.

7. Each householder prepares a
paschal basket that will be
consecrated and blessed by
the priest in the church
yard. In the basket is a
plate on which poppy seeds
are placed (which will be
thrown into the river to
ward off drought), salt
(which will be kept to bring
abundance), sugar (which will
be used whenever the cattle
are sick) , flour (so that the
wheat fruit is rich), onion
and garlic (with a role of
protection against insects).
On top of the plate is placed
the pasca, ham, cheese, red
and hard-boiled eggs,
cozonac and wine.

8. • In some areas of the
country, for Easter, a
tree (shrub) similar to
the Christmas one is
decorated. Painted
eggs (emptied of their
contents) are hung
instead of globes. The
tree can be placed in a
vase, thus increasing
the charm of the
holiday.

9. Among the sweets
prepared for
Easter, there are
egg bagels (10-15
eggs per 1 kg of
flour). Every
household tries to
prepare such a
delicacy, which is
also the symbol of
abundance.

10. On Easter morning,
children up to 9 years
old go to their
neighbors and friends
to announce the
Resurrection of the
Lord. The host gives
each hater a red egg.
It is said that a boy
must cross the
threshold of the house
first, so that there
will be no discord in
that household for the
rest of the year.

11. Another tradition that is
practiced is the incense
of the dishes, then
each diner receives an
Easter spoon (wine +
consecrated bread). On
the morning of Easter,
children wash their
faces with fresh water
from the well in which
they put a red egg, a
silver penny and blades
of green grass to bring
them health, beauty
and luck.

12. The day after Easter,
the girls prepare food,
red eggs and cakes in
anticipation of the
boys who come to
sprinkle. They spray
the girls with perfume
or water. Then they
all gather at the home
of one of the group
members where they
are served goodies.
The whole group then
goes to the Ball, which
is the first party
after breaking the
Easter Fast.

13. Following Western
influences, children now
receive chocolate eggs
that the Bunny brings.
In the folklore of the
Catholic peoples, it is
said that, on Maundy
Thursday, church bells
go to Rome to bring
red eggs, which they
hide in the gardens for
the children to find.
Whoever collects the
most eggs will be lucky
all year.

14. DID YOU KNOW THAT...
• Is it said to bring good luck to wear new clothes
for Easter? The Austrians decorate the eggs with
leaves and flowers, which they then insert, tied in
a stocking, into the paint, keeping the model
white? Do Romanians also use parsley leaves or
scallions to decorate eggs?
• Do Bulgarians knock an egg against the church wall
on Easter night?
• Do the Germans gather together all the Christmas
trees, which then burn in the "Easter Fire", a
symbol of the passing of winter and the coming of
spring?

15. • Do villagers in Russia throw Easter eggshells
into the water because there is a belief that
they help ducks and geese lay eggs more often?
• The day after Easter, in the United States, do
children compete to roll eggs on the grass in
front of the White House?
• Little Belgians weave hay nests and hide them
in the grass for the Easter Bunny to fill with
sweets and presents?
• On the Thursday before Easter, children in
Sweden dress up as witches and carol all the
houses, receiving gifts of sweets or money?

16. The greeting that Christians must give for 40 days
"Christ is risen!" "True is Risen." Starting from the
Night of the Lord's Resurrection, for 40 days,
Christians around the world will use as a greeting
formula "Christ is risen!" (or "Christ is risen!") and
they will receive the answer "Truly he is risen!". This
greeting is usually used after Easter until Ascension.
Truly He is Risen
Christ is Risen!