Easter traditions

The Easter holidays mean the practice of ancient traditions, which have been preserved for thousands of years. At the same time, the Resurrection of the Lord offers every Christian the opportunity to return to himself, to gain inner peace and outer cleanliness.

Romanian Easter customs are among the most diverse and differ according to the regions of the country. However, we tried to collect for you some of the most beautiful traditions, to remind us from now on how important it is to be close to the spiritual part of us, beyond the daily worries.

From cleaning the house, renewing clothes or cracking eggs, to the preparation of traditional dishes, every family has a series of rituals that they keep with sanctity during Easter.

The great spring cleaning

First of all, during this period, every housewife is in the center of attention. She knows everything that needs to be done and how it needs to be done. She shares tasks with family members, and the “big spring cleaning” is on her priority list. Everything must be perfect, and the house must shine for the guests who will be expected during the 3 days of the celebration.

Traditional Easter dishes

Easter preparations should not be missing from any table: red eggs, “pasca”, lamb loin and “cozonac” (a sort of sweet bread with nuts). All this is prepared on Great Thursday.

Easter bread (pasca) is the most important baking of this celebration and usually has a round shape. For the dough, tradition says that the best flour must be used.

Painted eggs symbolize the blood shed by Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of all mankind. According to legend, the Virgin Mary brought a basket of eggs to appease the soldiers and left them at the feet of Jesus, under the cross. The blood of the Lord began to drip into the basket with eggs and from then on, this tradition was established.

Cracking the eggs is done according to precise rules: the older person knocks the head of the egg against the head of the egg held by the partner, while saying “Christ is risen”. The other responds with the well-known reply “True has risen”.

Big Friday

Big Friday or Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. Fasting is practiced on this day. A very important detail is the prohibition to prepare any baking. Whoever bakes commits a great sin and it is said that even the fish does not eat the baked goods.

On Good Friday, in the evening, the feast of the Lord’s Prophecy is celebrated. Christians go to the church to pray; they circle the church three times along with the whole cathedral and “pass under the “Holy Air”. It is said that those who pass under the “Holy Air” three times will not suffer from headaches or back pain all year, and if they touch their eyes to the edge of the epitaph, they will not have eye pain.

The Light of Resurrection

The Light of the Resurrection is another holy symbol. The faithful usually goes to the church on the night between Saturday and Sunday to participate in the Resurrection ceremony. At midnight, the priest comes out of the altar with the lit candle and the Christians approach with their candles, to “take the light”. After the ceremony, they take the light to their homes and keep the candles that they will light later, in the moments of celebration. The light of the resurrection symbolizes the triumph of life over death, the victory of the Christian faith.