Romanian Christmas Traditions

Romanian Christmas Traditions

The Fasting

In Romania, Christmas begins with fasting (as the majority is represented by the Orthodox Church), which takes six weeks (from November 15th to December 24th). Fasting implies giving up on meat, eggs and milk, or like our grandfathers would say, restraining from sweet foods. A true fasting would mean giving up on physical love, on alcohol and paying back any dues. People from villages do not listen to the radio during the fasting period, they don’t watch TV and they don’t throw or go to any parties. The fasting ends on Christmas night.

The Ignat Day

On December 20th, people celebrate "the Ignat Day." On that day, they aren’t allowed to do any work, but prepare the pork. According to the tradition, those who are poor and have no pig (which is usually sacrificed and prepared at the farmer’s home) should sacrifice another animal. An old belief was that in the night before Ignat, the pig dreams of its knife. Those who are faint at heart and feel sorry for the pig are not allowed to participate in this ceremony, unless it dies slowly and its meat is no longer good. Grandfathers usually make the sign of the Cross on their grandchildren’s foreheads, in order for them to be healthy.

Christmas carols Children go from house to house singing Christmas carols. The traditional gifts which they naturally expect to receive include fruit, nuts and knot-shaped bread.  "Steaua" (The Star) Another interesting custom is the Star (Steaua). This is a large star made of coloured glossy paper, lighted inside like a lantern, which school children, in groups of three carry in the evening of Christmas from house to house, singing: The Star is rising high / Like a hidden mistery/ The Star shines brightly/ And to the world announces/ That today the pure/ The Immaculate Virgin Mary/ Gives birth to Messiah/ In that famous city/ Known by the name of Bethlehem. Here is the text in Romanian: Steaua sus rasare/ Ca o taina mare/ Steaua straluceste/ Si lumii vesteste/ Ca azi preacurata, cea nevinovata, Fecioara Maria/ Naste pe Mesia/ In tara vestita/ Bethlehem numita.

"Sorcova" Another custom practiced by children individually on New Year's Day is the "sorcova". This is a small branch or stick adorned with differently coloured artificial flowers, called sorcova with which they touch rhythmically and lightly their elders, while congratulating them on the occasion and wishing them a long life and a Happy New Year: Sorcova, the merry sorcova/Long may you live/Long may you flourish/ Like apple trees/ Like pear trees/ In midsummer/ Like the rich autumn/ Overflowing with abundance/ Hard as steel/ Fast as an arrow/ For many years to come/ Happy New Year! Here is the text in Romanian: Sorcova, vesela/ Sa traiti/ Sa-mbatraniti/ Ca un mar/ Ca un par/ Ca un fir de trandafir/ Tare ca piatra/ Iute ca sageata/ Tare ca fieru'/ Iute ca otelu'/ La anu' si la multi ani!

The traditional Christmas meal unfolds as follows: First courses "Racituri" or "piftie," jellied headcheese, consisting of the pig's feet, ears and head in aspic, accompanied by a grated horseradish and beet salad marinated in vinegar, water and sugar. Fresh pork sausages, either grilled or fried, garnished with "muraturi" (cucumber pickles), as well as hot peppers and green tomato pickles. Various traditional charcuterie products are served: "toba," pork intestine stuffed with meat jelly, liver and rind; "caltabos," a kind of blood sausage; "babic" and "ghiudem," varieties of sausage, very dry and highly spiced, made from goat, mutton or beef. Beef salad - steamed or boiled vegetables: carrots, celery, potatoes, peas and pickled vegetables (cucumbers, tomato peppers and green tomatoes), all finely chopped and combined with olives and strips of cooked beef and bound with mayonnaise. Main dishes "Ciorba de perisoare" - a slightly sour vegetable soup made with fermented bran and pork meatballs. "Sarmale" - Romanians' best-loved traditional dish - sour cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and served with polenta. Roast pork - garnished with pickled vegetables or mixed salads. Desserts The traditional Christmas dessert is called "cozonac." This rich fruit bread requires a long preparation time that begins early on the morning of Christmas Eve. Usually while the men are outdoors butchering the pig, the women stay in the kitchen to make the cozonac.

,,RACITURI’’ 4 x Pigs feet 1 tb Salt 2 x Garlic cloves Singe and thoroughly wash pigs feet. Place in pan with water to cover and boil 15 min. Remove feet, rewash and place in pan, cover with 4 quarts water and add salt. Boil slowly four hours or until meat falls off bones. Skim off any foam that forms so broth remains clear. Crush garlic and add to meat/water for last half hour of cooking. Remove meat from bones if desired and strain juice over meat in flat plates. Put in a cold place to jell. Serve sprinkled with sweet paprika or a little hot pepper.

COZONAC Ingredients  300 g. sugar (1 ½ c.) 1 kg. flour (5 c.) 1 T. vanilla 6 eggs ½ t. salt 200 g. butter (¾ c.) 2-3 T. oil 

nut filling: 250 g. walnuts (2 c.) ½ c. rum flavoring ¾ c. milk 1 t. vanilla 1 c. sugar

Directions  Preparing the dough: Begin by separating the eggs, reserving both the egg yolks and the egg whites. In a small pan, warm the milk over a medium flame. When the milk is warm, remove 3 tablespoons and continue heating the milk. Place 3 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl or container. Add the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and a little flour. Mix until it is the consistency of a thick cream to proof the yeast (See YEAST in TIPS). Cover and set aside for about 5 minutes. Once the milk on the stove comes to a boil, remove it from the flame. Add the vanilla and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, egg yolks and salt. Slowly stir the warm milk mixture into the sugar mixture and mix well. Then stir in the yeast mixture and 3 egg whites. Gradually add the remaining flour until it forms a dough, using all the flour. 

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead. In a small pan, begin melting the butter over a medium flame and stir in the oil. Once melted, remove the butter mixture from the flame. Slowly add the mixture of warm butter and oil until the dough forms bubbles and easily comes off the hands (about ½ hour). Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place until it has doubled or tripled in bulk. Generously grease a loaf or baking pan(s). Once the dough has risen, about 1 ½-2 hours, form the dough to the shape of the loaf pan. (This is the point where you would add a filling if desired, see nut or chocolate fillings below.) Allow the dough to rise for at least ½ hour. Before baking, brush the top of the dough with some of the remaining egg whites (or beat one extra egg and glaze with the beaten egg). Bake in a medium high temperature oven for 30-45 minutes. When cooked through, remove the cozonac from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. For nut filling: Begin by grinding or grating the walnuts. In a small pan, heat the sugar, milk and vanilla over a medium flame until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ground nuts while mixing to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The consistency should be similar to a paste. Remove the pan from the heat. Add rum flavoring. Once the mixture has cooled, roll out the cozonac dough and spread the nut mixture over the surface. Roll the dough back up and shape it to the size of the baking pan. Bake as directed above.