29 Nov, 2019

Romanian Christmas Traditions

If this is your first Christmas in Romania, you may wonder what kind of celebrations and special events you will discover here. The Cronoscar team for rent a car in Bucharest is ready with some useful details for you. They will help you understand the way Romanians celebrate Christmas in various parts of the country and the significance of these rituals and traditions.

A Country Rich in Specific Traditions

Romania consists of several historic provinces: Moldova, Muntenia, Dobrogea, Banat, Ardeal and Transilvania. These provinces were separated for centuries and only became one single state in 1918. Thus, every region developed its own traditions for various celebrations, including Christmas.

Your trusted partner for car rentals in Cluj, Timisoara, Brasov, Iasi and other main cities in Romania will share with you some of the most interesting Christmas traditions you can see or even participate in.

What All the Regions Have in Common: Carols, the Christmas Tree, and Santa Claus

One thing is common to all Romania, just as in all the countries that celebrate Christmas: carolers sing in the streets, people deck Christmas trees and children anxiously wait for Santa Claus. Whether you start your holiday at the Cronoscar office for rent a car in Sibiu, Suceava or Constanta, you will drive by groups of carolers and see magnificent Christmas trees in public plazas.

However, there are subtle differences from region to region. Christmas carols sound different in each province. And although everyone chooses the fir tree as Christmas tree, in various areas people also bring in their homes mistletoe or apple branches.

Christmas in Transilvania: Strong German Influences

Actually, the tradition of decorating a fir tree for Christmas came in Romania with the German settlers. If you decide to spend your holidays in Transilvania, you will see the origins of this tradition in Romania.

The Cronoscar team for car rentals in Timisoara and Sibiu encourages you to explore a few specific Saxon traditions for Christmas, such as singing carols from the towers of fortified churches or the enactments of key religious moments: the apparition of the stars, the adoration of the magi and the flight to Egypt.

A Plentiful Christmas in Moldova

For your stay in Moldova, we recommend Iasi as your starting point. After a short trip to the Cronoscar office for car rentals in Iasi, you are free to travel across the entire province. The painted churches of Bucovina, included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, are a must-see destination. Here, you can experience the ancient and unchanged religious rituals for Christmas.

Elsewhere, in villages and towns, people are busy the entire week before Christmas to welcome it properly: they thoroughly clean their houses and cook many delicious dishes, such as "sarmale" (cabbage rolls with minced meat inside) and “cozonac” (a dessert prepared for special celebrations). As one of the most important wine making regions of Romania, the Christmas dinner in Moldova also includes a wide variety of white, rose and red wines.

Christmas at the Seaside: Always Surprising

The seaside doesn’t look very welcoming in the winter? That's a misconception! Just look at the magnificent ice sculptures that wind and water create along the pier of the Casino promenade in Constanta!

But, of course, you will get cold and want to warm up inside. Christmas traditions in Dobrogea include foods and drinks, especially freshly made doughnuts and hot "tuica" (plum brandy).

As for historic rituals and traditions, you will have to take the car offered by the Cronoscar office for rent a car in Constanta and go to smaller towns and villages across Dobrogea. Here, you will meet groups of children and young men singing carols. The children's carols are usually short and funny, while the young men's carols have religious themes.

Wherever you choose to spend Christmas in Romania, the Cronoscar team for rent a car is here for you with special deals on the most popular car brands! Find out more on www.cronoscar.ro!

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