Weihnachten … bei Andreea in Rumänien

„Was machst du an Weihnachten?“ war wohl die Frage der letzten Wochen. Und ganz egal wen man fragte, die Antworten waren immer gleich. Einige gehen in die Kirche, manche essen Gans, manche Ente, aber alle verbringen die folgenden drei Tage mit Ihren Familien. Weihnachten ist also in Deutschland weiterhin ein Familienfest bei dem in entspannter Atmosphäre vom turbulenten Vorjahr abgeschaltet werden kann.
Doch wie sieht das in anderen Ländern aus? Um das heraus zu finden befragte ich über einen englischen Standardfragebogen Freunde, die ich während meiner Asienreise kennengelernt hatte. Die vielen unterschiedlichen Antworten möchte ich euch nun vorstellen.

 
Ein sehr traditionelles Weihnachtsfest feiert Andreea aus Bukarest in Rumänien.

Ich lernte sie in Taiwan während eines aufregenden und zugleich sehr lustigen Raftingtrips kennen. Im folgenden findet ihr ihre Antworten…
 
In your opinion, what is the true meaning of Christmas?
For me Christmas is a national celebration, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It’s a celebation that reunites the whole family, it’s a moment of union, happines and reconciliation of all the generations, parents, children, grandparents.
Everyone finds something to feel happy about . the children can sing christmas songs, the mothers and grandmothers prepare special tradional foods, like sarmale, caltabors (you will see next), the men of the family burn and cut the pork, and all together we can decorate the christmas tree and eat at a big table. It’s also for me a moment of inner peace, quiet and happines from the stress of everyday life.
 
Jesus was born 2013 years ago. For that matter Christmas is a Christian celebration. Do you and your family celebrate Christmas, too? Why? Why not? Is there a similar ceremony in your culture?
I am from Romania, and around 90% of romanians are declaired as ortodox christians. Me and my family we are the same. So as christians we trully belive that Cristmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. So all around Romania you can here tradional christmas songs like this one „ Oh! what a wonderful news, from Betleem it comes, today has been born the one without a begining, as the prophets say…(..) Jesus.“, or like „Today Jesus was born, Messia the one with bright face, let’s cheer and sing and be happy “ i show you here the songs in romanian:
 Astãzi s-a nãscut Hristos
   Mesia chip luminos.
          R: Lãudati si cântati si vã bucurati.
2. Mititel înfãsetel
   În scutec de bumbãcel.
           R: Lãudati si cântati si vã bucurati.
3. Vântul bate nu-l rãzbate
    Neaua ninge nu-l atinge.
           R: Lãudati si cântati si vã bucurati.
4. Si de-acum pânã-n vecie
   Mila Domnului sã fie.
           R: Lãudati si cântati si vã bucurati.
 
O, CE VESTE MINUNATÃ!
 1. O, ce veste minunatã!
   In Vifleem ni s-aratã,
   Astãzi s-a nãscut, Cel fãr-de-nceput
   Cum au spus proorocii.
 2. Cã la Vifleem Maria
   Sãvârsind cãlãtoria,
   Întru-un mic sãlas, lâng-acel oras
   A nãscut pe Mesia.
 3. Pe Fiul în al Sãu nume
   Tatãl l-a trimis în lume,
   Sã se nascã si sã creascã
   Sã ne mântuiascã.
 
What are you doing between December 24 and 26? 
First i have to say, that Romanians have a tradition, on the 20th of December is „ignatul porcului“,  translated as the day of the cutting of the pig. It’s a ritual that old men say it cleans the sins of people. It’s a pagan ritual asociated to Christmas keeped from the dacians our ancestors, who sacrificed animals as symbols of a god of the dark, who weakens the power of the sun in the shortest day of the year. Cuz not forget in this period is also the solstice of winter. Anyway, people from rural areas mostly, cut and burn the pig and them we do like a dole of the pig, where we eat a dish with different pices of pork, and then the women start preparing different dishes.
Because i am not from the rural areas, i live in the capital of Romania Bucharest and my grandparents all live in the city now, i have never has the opportunity to witness this event unfortunately.
I am from Bucharest but this year i will spend my Chirstmas with my boyfriend and his family in Constanta on the 24th and then on the 25th we will go to Tulcea, another city next to the Danube Delta.


Before 24 December we will decorate the Cristmas tree all together, usualy listening to international christmas songs or tradional romanian. We actually have a radio station that plays all December just Christmas songs and it has also a sugestive name “Magic FM“, so usally in December when we are home we leave the radio open.
On the 24 the women will prepare the tradional dishes for the next days. ( surprise, later).
We will receive different groups off children and adults also who ring at the door and sing christmas  songs, and we will give them „covrigi“ = big pretzels and money also.
In all the days we  can see people on the streets singing and dancing some traditional dances like „caprita“,“ plugusorul“, you can see some images here:


In the morning of the 25th of December we will open the christmas gifts.
After this we will eat at the Christmas table with everyone. After we can watch christmas movies and play usually family boardgames like activity, catan, ubongo etc.
If there is snow outside we can go with the sleight.

What will you eat between these days? 
Traditional Christmas dishes are:
Sarmale – My favorite!!!

Slanina si carnati

Toba

 
Cozonac – sweet

 
Imagine you catch Santa coming down your chimney on Christmas Eve and he grants your one wish – What would it be? It doesn’t matter how expensive or unbelievable it is… 🙂
I would like a bag of airplane tickets for all around the world for me and my family, and for the unbelivable stuff with no absence from collage.
 

 
Habt ihr Fragen an Andreea? Dann stellt sie gerne in den Kommentaren.
Hier findet ihr die weiteren Beiträge:
Weihnachten … bei John in den USA
Weihnachten … bei Lee in Israel
Weihnachten … bei King in Taiwan
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