Hello, everyone! ❤
I haven’t written for long an episode about the Romanian culture and because today we celebrate the Orthodox Easter, it is the good occasion to talk about it. The Orthodox Easter is usually celebrated a week later from the Catholic Easter, except once in 4 or 6 years when this huge Christian celebration falls on the same date. The reason why the Orthodox church observes Easter on a different date from the Catholic church is because the Orthodox church uses the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian one. And that’s why the Julian Easter is delayed with 1 week from the Gregorian Easter. I have to mention that as Romanian Greek-Catholic (and the other Romanians who are Greek-Catholics and Orthodox), I only celebrate Easter by the Julian calendar. I celebrate Christmas on December 25th, after the Gregorian calendar more exactly. 🙂
This is the first time I am celebrating Easter abroad and away from my family. 🙂 It feels a bit awkward to celebrate by myself, but today, on this holy day, I am very thankful that I managed to come here in Belgium. Also I would like to say “Sorry!” to those I got mad on from different reasons! 🙂 I have bought lots of chocolate eggs, as you can see in the picture above and since yesterday I have been eating on them. 😀 I have also bought myself some Easter presents from the Belgian shop HEMA:
I felt the need to put some color since spring has finally come to Belgium! 😀 Finally, the weather is wonderful and I gave up on the winter coat and winter shoes! 😀 Along with spring came up some wonderful news! 😀 This inner happiness is personal at the moment and it will be revealed at the right moment. 🙂 And since things are also not very sure at the moment, I won’t get too excited about it! 😀 So let’s move on to the main topic of the post! 🙂
I found this article from a local newspaper which is talking about a few Romanian superstitions that you have to follow on Easter Sunday in order to be lucky the whole year. 🙂 And since the article is intersting I have decided to translate it (because it is Romanian) and to share our Easter customs on this blog. 😀 So here is what Romanians do on Easter to have very good year:
1. On the night of Easter Sunday, at the Resurrection service, you have to wear new clothes so that your soul to be clean and your year to be prosper.
2. On the night of Easter Sunday, boys must jump over the fire so that they will be protected by charms the whole year. Also the witches will have no power over them.
3. Whoever eats hallowed horseradish after he/she returns from the church, he/she will be healthy the entire year. Also, Romanians believe that if you take any other kind of food at the Easter service at church, the food will have healing powers.
4. You should never touch the salt with your bare hands on this time of the year, otherwise your hands will become sweaty all year and you will have to say good bye to luck and prosperity.
5. Remember all the people you have clinked Easter eggs with. Legend has it that when you will get lost, you will manage to find your path by thinking at them.
Well, regarding the last superstition, if I knew about it before I came here to Belgium, I would have applied it. In the first days of my stay I did got lost a lot! 😀 Anyway, this is all about the Romanian superstitions related to Easter. If you haven’t read the previous episodes of this series, make sure to check them on this page:
Thank you for reading and Happy Easter everyone! 😉
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