Welcome to our second of the Christmas Threads! After waking Santa up, we are travelling to Romania to see how Christmas is celebrated over there.  Somewhat different to ours it seems. But how lovely to spend Christmas somewhere like this where there is so much snow.

Christmas and Mid Winter celebrations start on 20th Dec and last til 7th Jan.  The 20th December is called "Ziua de Ignat". 
If a family keeps pigs, one is killed on this day and the meat used on Christmas Day - fresh or what !  The name "Ignat Day" is the saint day of Saint Ignatius of Antioch and also Saint Ignatious Archiandrite of the Kiev Caves in some churches.

Once the pig is killed, the family have a dish called Pomana Porcului (Pork Charity).  It is made with pork belly, shoulder, liver, kidneys etc. in a garlic sauce, and you eat it with Polenta. 

The main celebrations start, as with us, on Christmas Eve, when the tree is decorated, and Christmas Eve is called "Ajunul Craciunului".

The singing of Christmas Carols called "Colindatul" is a big part of Christmas in Romania.  The children go out on Christmas Eve singing from house to house and they often dance as well.  This is rewarded by sweets, traditional cake called "Cozonaci"and sometimes  even money.  The adults go carol singing on Christmas Day.  In some parts, it’s traditional that someone dresses as a goat and goes around with the carol singers. The goat is called the "Capra" and jumps and dances around and gets up to mischief. (This reminds me of somebody - sorry Mirela😁)

Another Christmas Eve tradition is a drumming band, made up of unmarried men.  It can have as many as 60 in it, and there is often a saxophone or violin. They go round the streets and are given presents. 

Traditional food is roast gammon and pork made from the killed pig. 
Also 'Ciorba de perisoare' which is a sour vegetable soup made with fermented bran and pork meatballs, and "Sarmale", which is basically cabbage leaves  stuffed with ground pork, and served with ploenta and Cozonac, which is a rich fruit bread, and doughnuts and cheesecakes.

Santa is known as  Moş Crăciun" - Old Man Christmas - as during the communist control era, the gif bringer was  Moş Gerilă - Old Man Frost - but it was then changed to what it is now.

So all that leaves to be said is  

All are welcome. And please feel free to share all discussions you enjoy.

Grateful thanks to Mirela who gave me the idea of Christmas in different countries and for the pics and help.