CHRISTMAS IN ROMANIA

Christmas is one of the two very important religious holidays in Romania, the
other one being Easter. Both holidays are about family reunion, love, and respect.
Christmas is a magical time in Romania, even more, if it snows and the
landscape becomes the picture perfect image everyone hope to see this time of the
year.
 From Christmas caroling to cooking traditional dishes, Romania has a variety of
customs that you can discover.
Romanian Christmas carols are some of the oldest in the world, with tunes
and themes varying according to their region of origin. While some of the carols
focus on telling the story of the Birth of Jesus Christ, many of them are blessings to
those that open their doors to the carol singers, to their families, future crops, and
others are wishes of good luck, health, and love in the new year. The carols plead
for harmony and peace among people, and children are usually the ones who sing
them because they are considered the purest and closest to God. They are
usually dressed in traditional Romanian clothes.
 Food preparation is also a very important ceremony. Everything begins at 5
am, with the preparation of the traditional cozonac – a sweet sponge cake with nuts
and cocoa filling.
Afterward, the preparation of the traditional pork specialties begins. Smoked ham
and sausages, jellied pork, greaves or tripe soup are just some of the winter
delicacies that make Romanian Christmas a feast for all your senses. And the best
way to enjoy all of these is with a glass of palinka.

And of course, you can’t talk about Romanian food without mentioning the
beloved cabbage rolls (sarmale). Paired with sour cream, a hot polenta, and a
couple of hot peppers.
Celebrating Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, early in the morning, people leave for the church
and children open their gifts from Santa. The three following days are reserved
for relaxation, visiting family members, and enjoying the delicious food.

You can watch some traditional Christmas carols

1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07J3lxxfECI&t=150s
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buFQo6ofk8Q

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z1bSFscHOA

4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W9vXOvj3Xk

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKzEORl-P4w