page_title: Christmas in Romania
section_title: Advent
hierarchical_section_title: Christmas in Romania / Advent
caption_attribution_description: Português: Natividade, ícone bizantino, Museu Cristão e Bizantino, Atenas. English: Byzantine icon of Nativity, in the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.
context_page_description: Christmas in Romania is a major annual celebration, celebrated on 24/25 of December, as in most countries of the Christian world. The observance of Christmas was introduced once with the Christianization of Romania but it was then interrupted during the Communist period, as concepts as religion, Jesus Christ or the Church were banned. In the post-communist Romania, Christmas started being celebrated again more festively.
  The Christmas and holiday season starts officially on November 30, on Saint Andrew's day and ends on January 7, with the celebration of Saint John. Other major holidays in this period are Great Union Day, Saint Nicholas' Day, Saint Ignatius' Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Saint Stephen's day, New Year's Eve, and the Epiphany.
context_section_description: The seven-week Advent season in anticipation of Jesus Christ's birth is obligatory for all Eastern Christian Romanians. It starts on November 14 yearly and ends up on Christmas Day. November 14, the first day of advent is traditionally called Lăsata secului (literally the day the abstinence begins). Any kind of products obtained from animal sources are prohibited. Also, on Wednesdays and on Fridays, oil among other products is not to be eaten. Some special days (for example Saint Ignatius Day or Great Union Day) occur during the period when Christians are allowed to eat fish or dairy. The Christmas Eve should be a day of total abstinence to thank God for sending The Savior. All said, there are forty days of advent (seven to nine of them being exceptions), this being the second abstinence period as length during the Romanian religious year, after the Easter advent.
  During this season, the Christmas holiday season in Romania starts with Saint Andrew's feast day on November 30. Customs say everyone should hang plenty of garlic and a crucifix next to all doors and windows on the mansion, to keep evil spirits, geani, and spells away from their home. Strigoi or vampires (such as geani) may appear during the night between November 29 and November 30 as this night is popularly known as Noaptea lupului (Night of the wolf).
  The next day, December 1, is the Great Union Day (Ziua Marii Uniri), the National Day of Romania. It is celebrated by all Romanians. In Bucharest and Alba Iulia Romanian Armed Forces have parades, showing their Land and Air vehicles and performing the Romanian national anthem "Deșteaptă-te, române!", used for the Union back in 1918. People are given free Mici and Fasole cu cârnaţi while they party into the night. Free music concerts and street festivals are organised annually in every Romanian city. There are also numerous Television specials, most notably ones broadcast by Pro TV, which bring famous or important Romanians into the spotlight. The day usually ends with fireworks.
  At the beginning of December, the Christmas lights are turned on all over the streets. The same night, Moş Nicolae comes and gives children presents. Children receive their gifts early in the morning of December 6 or late at night on December 5; traditionally, the gifts are put in their laced up boots. Children are usually given sweets or books; if they have been naughty, they get wooden sticks.
  On December 20, Saint Ignatius Day, Romanians start the last preparations for Christmas. On this date, they cut pigs for the Christmas Eve supper. Around this date, people usually buy their Christmas trees from public markets or supermarkets.
  On December 24, it is Noaptea de ajun, the day children usually start caroling their neighbors. On the same date, women bake traditional cookies to give children for their caroling. By that time, the Christmas tree must usually be already decorated.
caption: An icon representing the Nativity of Jesus.
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