Romanian Holidays – Spring celebrations and where to enjoy them
Travelers to Romania should expect to enjoy all the four seasons with the textbook weather. Summers are hot and sunny, Autumn is all about the rusty colors and pumpkin pie, Winter always brings snow and Spring in Romania delights with fields full of flowers in bloom and the most important celebrations in the country.
Romania in springtime is an absolute must. The great outdoors are boosting with colors, insects, and birds, villagers are shedding their winter coats and start to work outside of the house planting and seeding the land and giving travelers a great occasion to experience the authentic Romanian lifestyle.
One would argue that the winter celebrations are maybe the best, and although Romanians do know how to celebrate Christmass and the traditional food is to die for, Spring celebrations in Romania are just as important or maybe more. One thing is for sure, Spring in Romania is sort of magical.
What Romanians celebrate, eat, drink and where to go to enjoy Spring Romanian Celebrations:
1. Mărțișorul – 1st of March
Romanians love spring so much that they celebrate from day one the arrival of this season. On this day women and girls receive little tokens representing flowers or animals or lucky charms (mărțișoare) tied with a red and white ribbon. They symbolize the beginning of Spring and are usually worn on the clothes in the chest area for the entire duration of the season.
In some regions, the men and boys are the ones that receive these small tokens.
Of course, there are many legends and myths surrounding the Mărțișor and there is no better place to find about them than wondering the local fairs in any big city in Romania starting with the end of February and up until 8th of March. The fairs consist of vending booths boasting of mărțișoare, some hand-made, well-crafted pieces of art and others made in China.
A perfect choice is a Bucharest tour. The hand-made fairs at The Museum of the Romanian Peasant and The Village Museum are one of the best in the country and also a place to meet local craftsmen.
2. Women Day – 8th of March
An international celebration, Women’s Day is also very important in Romania where they receive flowers and gifts. You can spend the day by visiting Romania’s most romantic places and make your loved one feel like royalty in Peleș Castle or Bran Castle.
3. Floriile – variable date (25th March in 2018)
Floriile or Flowers Day is celebrated one week before Easter. It is a profound religious celebration that marks the entering of Jesus in Jerusalem and being greeted with palm tree leaves. On this day Romanians also celebrate all those who have a flower name (Florin, Ghiocel, Lili, Iris etc).
People enjoy picnics and usually eat grilled mackerel.
This is a great day to take an extended Bucharest tour with a stop at the Village Museum where besides the various types of houses from all Romania travelers can enjoy a day filled with traditional music and dancing and people dressed in authentic Romanian costumes.
4. Easter – variable date (9th April in 2018)
Romanians celebrate the Orthodox Easter which varies in date every year. It falls in the first Sunday that precedes the full moon after the spring equinox. It is the most important spring celebration if not the most important one throughout the year.
The profound religious holiday is celebrated by fasting beforehand, going to church on Saturday night to receive light (lighting a candle from the one the priest takes out of the altar) and having a lavish meal on Sunday among family and friends.
Easter dishes are specific, local and delicious. Romanians prepare for this special day lamb roast, sweetbread (cozonaci), drob (a type of meatloaf made with lamb liver and condiments) and painted eggs.
This spring Romanian celebration is best experienced in Maramureș and Bucovina where painting and decorating eggs is an art.
Other lovely places to spend the holiday are the remote villages of Măgura and Peștera, picturesque mountain villages situated between the mountains of the Carpathians. Here people enjoy picnics with delicious food among cows and sheep that enjoy the fresh spring grass.
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