CHRISTMAS

Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25 as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world.

IGNATS DAY
The ritual sequences commencing the celebration of Christmas begin on December 20th, also known as the Ignats day, a day when a pig is sacrificed so that ritual food can be prepared for the Christmas feast out of its meat.

CHRISTMAS EVE
On Christmas Eve, on December 24, its happens next things: decorating the Christmas Tree, going caroling, and arrival of Santa Claus.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

When we think of Christmas comes to our mind immediately the Christmas tree, there is a strong connection between them.

Christmas Tree is the most popular Christmas custom, because the symbols which are associated: -love (because it is adorned by the whole family), -joy and happiness(because under the tree we found gifts), -magic (it is said that Santa Claus does not come in hauses where isnt a tree), - life, durability and health (because it is always green,even when outside it is snow). Basically, the tree became the center of celebrations.

 The first Christmas tree was decorated in Alsace, more than 1000 years ago, adorn with colored paper, roses, sweets and apple. Recently all the people from everywhere adorn the trees with tinsel, colored balls and sweets. Our grandparents adorned the tree with apples, nuts, colored thread and biscuits.In the hole world, apples were first used instead of balls and means the eternal youth like the eternal green color of the tree.At the top of the tree, usually sit a star:North Star, from the ice lands to the North Pole where Santa lives.

 Martin Luther was the first who used candles for decorating a tree. At the beginning XVI century in Germany was invented the tinsel. Later began to develop an entire industry that deals with the electrical decorated tree, sticks to all kinds of glass globes and other colorful materials. In our country began to be decorated tree in XIX century and continues to this day, each striving to have a larger tree and be beautifully decorated, it is a tradition to decorate the tree on evening of December 24 .

CHRISTMAS CAROLS
It is a old Christmas custom from Romanian people. Traditionally, during the first hours after dark on Christmas' Eve is the time for children to go caroling a variety of carols, about the birth of Jesus Christ, and the adults stay home to greet them. As they go caroling from house to house, the children receive treats like candy, fruit, baked treats and sometimes even money in appreciation of their performance and as a sign of holiday good will.

 The traditional rewards of the kids who are carol are coils, apples, pears and nuts, but in our day the hosts offers especially money and sweets.

Santa Claus
Legend says that when the Virgin Mary with Joseph looking for safe place to birth Jesus, they came to the house of Christmas. It is said that this was a bad man, instead his wife being compassionate and have a good soul, gave a safe place to Virgin Mary and Joseph, but being afraid of the wrath of Christmas, she hide these in the stable of the animals.When Christmas found out what was happening, he was angry and cut his wife hands. Then Mary did a great miracle, when she put back the hands of Mrs. Claus, then this adventure turn up Mr. Christmas in a gentle man and full of mercy.

Tradition says that "Santa" distributed gifts to good children on Christmas night . Santa Claus is dressed in a red suit with white fur around the edges, black boots and a red, fluffy hat, with a big beard like snow white and lives in Finland, in Laponia in Rovaniemi,Santa wit h his wife. During year he build toys with the help of the elves (little peopel). To Santa arriving daily at home a lot of letters from children around the world. Santa Claus has a list in which are past the good and the bad children not brings gifts to those who deserve: he enter to the chimney and puts the gifts under the Christmas tree.

 Santa bring gifts from his store with the sledge drawn by his eight reindeer: Vixen, Comet,Cupid, Dasher, Donder, Dancer, Blitzen, Prancer, led by Rudolf and enter on the house by using the chimney, put gifts under the Christmas tree. When he is not in a hurry,he eat the cookies and drink milks prepared by the children from him.

CHRISTMAS DAY
On 25th December we celebrate Christmas day in the morning of this day Christians people go to church, then dine in the family and then offers gifts to each member of family.

Christmas dinner in Romania is a rich, multi-course meal. On the top of the menu comes various kinds of pork sausages, along with plum brandy and home made pickles. 'Sarmale' , an indispensable item for the festive dinner, comes next. This dish consists of pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with a combination of pork and beef, along with rice, pepper, thyme and other spices. Other dishes to follow are roasted pork and turkey with red wine. The wine is consumed to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The last item is 'cozonaci', a cake filled with nuts and raisins. All the members of the extended family enjoy the feast together.

 For children Christmas morning is very important because they open the presents brought by Santa Claus.

Romanian Christmas celebrations follow a different tradition that has more similarities with the old-world. While Christmas around the world is celebrated in a modern avatar, Romanians still hold their tradition and rituals dear to their hearts.