The Romanian spring brings with it, besides mild winds of revival, the
charm of
ancient customs. Easter religious traditions are definitely the most
important of all. [Easter and Christmas, in the cold season, offer
the most significant events of the Romanian customs.] The Eastern
Christian Church says that Yesus was born during the winter solstice
and his death, followed by his resurrection, happened during
the spring equinox: on Eastern Orthodox Catholic Easter.
The most important Christian holiday--Yesus' Resurrection--is closely related to the revival of nature. Cleaning the houses, wearing new clothes, the ritual bath before going to church, all these are supposed to mark a new beginning. After the long fast that is Lent, tables full of good dishes and brightened up with beautiful painted eggs create a festive atmosphere. Children look forward to their gifts: coloured eggs.
The holy night of Christ's Resurrection is flooded with light. After
midnight Mass, Romanians leave church carrying lit candles just as they have
done for centuries in
Romanian hometowns or villages. Anyone who gets acquainted with
Romanian churches, becomes equally familiar with people who preserve
their culture. If you
have ever spent Easter somewhere in Romania -- for example, visiting the
Hurezu monastery, Transylvania, Arges County, the Rohia church, Lapus
County,
or the Moldavian Putna monastery -- then you are aware that the
celebration
of the Resurrection of Christ is an interesting experience for
anyone who would
like to know Romanians better. The beauties of Romanian traditions
have been
preserved, unaltered by New York, and are more visible to outsiders during
Orthodox church services--especially during Easter.
The Romanian Cultural Center in midtown [200 East 38th Street, New York,
NY 10016; phone 212-687-0180; fax 212-687-0181] has a rewarding program
of
cultural events open to anyone who would like to know more about their country.
Events are also scheduled through the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce
in New York [Chairman's Office: 40 Wall St., NYC 10005; phone 212-344-5500;
fax 212-344-3333] and are open to members and accompanied guests.
A recent film showed Romanian peasants, dressed in national
costumes,
lit candles in their hands, gathering together in church at the
end of Holy Saturday [at midnight] as they uttered in unison:
Hristos a inviat din morti!
Jesus Christ has risen from the
dead.
Everywhere around these local churches, on the hills, in the
plains,
people were lighting fires, singing hymns and praises to the risen Savior.
Here is the "Lord's Prayer" in Romanian.
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The craftsmanship of dyeing eggs
at Easter, an ancient tradition with the
Romanians, is due to the belief that eggs
represent the primordial source of life.
After services, a crowd of people (carrying a multitude of flaring
lit
candles) return home where friends and relatives will soon be
clinking
Easter eggs with beautifully dyed or exquisitely painted
shells.
The egg, the magnificent preserver of the mystery of
the origin of life, has always been related to the rites of the
nature's
renewal. There is definitely a close link between Easter, eggs,
and the vernal equinox. Each element of this trio is linked
to the Easter meal of cheese, cake, lamb roast and broth,
"drob" (spiced minced lamb), and fresh cottage cheese.
A film at the Romanian Cultural Center in midtown showed
Romanian spring customs that originated because of the old
rural traditions, for example, farming labor or shepherds'
activities, for ex., "Tanjaua" at Hoteni, in the Maramures
district, where country people would honor the most diligent
farmer, the one who was the first to begin ploughing. In Banat
there is a similar custom. In Oas, the festivity "Sambra
oilor"
(the Sheep Association), an ancient pastoral custom, is held
on
the day the flocks are leaving for mountain pastures.
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Easter in NY | Easter recipes | Easter eggs | Easter art |
"Easter
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