Tradition in Mehedinti
A significant number of traditional customs and celebrations was preserved within the strong communities of the Mehedinti villages and some of them
even within its modern towns and cities. Traditional customs are similar across Romania but they vary more or less from a country region to another.
Even though performed in the 21st century in villages marked by modernization, such traditional rituals haven't diminished their prestige.
Hram & Nedeie
Hram represents the day to celebrate the patron saint of a particular church. Closer or more remote villages come in a procession to that church, while the hosting village organizes a big communal feast (nedeie).
Easter
Easter (Paste) is the most important celebration of the Romanian people and it is preceded by numerous preparations and rituals.
The majority of Mehedinti's population is orthodox and celebrate Easter according to the orthodox calendar.
Traditional Easter Customs -
On Easter day and the week following Easter, the form of greeting is: "Hristos a inviat" (Christ is risen); and the reply: "Adevarat a inviat" (He is risen indeed).
There's the custom of knocking the eggs before eating them. It is believed that those who knock their eggs will see each other on the other world, after death.
Eggs are knocked until the third Easter day.
Traditional Easter Food
Painted (usually red) eggs
Pasca (Easter bread) - sweet dough with a pleasant lemon flavor and raisins
Drob - traditional Easter dish using lamb organs
Lamb steak
Lamb soup (ciorba de miel) - sour soup with lamb meat and various vegetables & herbs (lovage is a must)
Stufat - lamb with green onion and green garlic
Cozonaci - sweet bread with milk, sugar, eggs and butter added. Fillings such as ground walnut mix, Turkish delight (rahat)
and raisins are usually added
Christmas
Traditional Christmas Customs -
Christmas (Craciun) is marked with the tradition of singing Christmas carols, reciting poetry and stories about Jesus' birth -
most often by children, who travel from house to house and receive treats from neighborhood families. The leader of the group carries a
wooden star (steaua) with biblical scenes painted in water colors. The star may be decorated with bells to ring as the carolers travel through
the villages, cities and towns.
Santa Claus (Mos Craciun), brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, he will visit young children in person.
Some families expect him to bring the tree when he comes, and others think that he must be greeted with a beautiful tree.
Traditional Christmas Food -
The traditional Christmas food includes pork (pigs are sacrificed a few days before Christmas) prepared as sausages and "sarmale" (stuffed cabbage) ; special pastries and "cozonaci".
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is another period of festivities. The night of December 31st, in villages, towns and cities, we can find gatherings of young fellows singing and dancing together on the streets. The caroling repertoire is vast. Besides ritual songs such as Plugusor (little plough -a folk poem thought to protect the home and help crops grow well), Buhai (traditional drum), Capra (goat dance), Ursul (bear dance), there are carols for each category of individuals within the community (old, very young, young, newly weds, ready to marry, young parents, families without children, etc), for each profession (shepherd, farmer, bucket makers, soldiers), or for specific regions. Children perform a specific carol: Sorcova, when they touch older family members with a stick adorned with artificial flowers and wish them good health and prosperity in the coming year.