Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays, and Romanians keep specific customs and traditions for this period with great reverence, passing them down from generation to generation. The holiday symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus after three days from His crucifixion. This occasion celebrates both His resurrection and the transition to spring. For Romanians, this time of year is a much-anticipated opportunity to spend time with loved ones. Likewise, Easter marks a favorable moment for soul purification, as there is also a spiritual way in which Romanians prepare for this holiday. We invite you to discover some of the most interesting and widely practiced Easter traditions:
Easter Lent
Christian Lent lasts for forty days and is also known as the “Great Lent.” This period leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus involves giving up meat- and dairy-based foods. There are only two days during this period when fish can be eaten: on the Annunciation and Palm Sunday.
However, beyond the “physical” purification, Lent also aims to awaken in those practicing it the importance of “spiritual” cleansing, or the fasting of the soul. This means that, in addition to giving up certain foods, people who fast also cleanse their souls, bringing peace and harmony to their homes and hearts. In this way, Romanians are prepared physically and spiritually to embrace the Easter holiday and the light of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection.
Holy Week
Holy Week represents the last week before Easter and involves various activities and rituals practiced by Romanians. During these days, households and yards undergo a general cleaning, ritual fires are made, new holiday clothes are purchased, and people forgive each other.
On Monday, cleaning begins, and the house is aired out to “drive out all the evils gathered during winter.” Over the next two days, preparations continue, and by Thursday, everything is ready. Elders say that sleeping in the afternoon on Thursday is bad luck, as those who sleep will be lazy all year. On Good Friday, eggs are dyed red, as it is said that the Virgin Mary placed a basket of eggs under the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and they turned red from the blood dripping down. On this day, strict fasting is observed (nothing is eaten until sunset), and no work is done. In the evening, people go to church for the Lamentations service. Church services are held throughout the week, known as “Denii.” On Saturday, food is prepared for the Easter meal, and a basket with provisions is readied to take to church for the Resurrection service. The basket contains red eggs, Easter bread, cake, sugar, flour, and salt to be blessed. Before midnight, Christians dress in new clothes and go to church, where they attend the service and receive the light symbolizing the Resurrection of the Savior. During the service, the priest, followed by the faithful, goes into the churchyard and exclaims, “Christ is Risen!” to which those present respond, “Indeed, He is Risen!” and the church is circled three times. After the service, people go home with the lit candle.
In the morning, the whole family gathers at the table and enjoys the prepared dishes, including lamb drob (offal pate), Easter bread, cake, lamb roast, and red wine. Another ritual is the knocking of red eggs while saying “Christ is Risen!” to which the response is, “Indeed, He is Risen!”—a reference to the opening of Christ’s tomb. Another custom, observed mainly by women, is washing their faces with water from a vessel containing a red egg and a silver coin. It is said that this keeps them always healthy and happy.
Easter Traditions in Specific Romanian Regions
In Transylvania, on the first day of Easter, young girls are visited by boys who come to “sprinkle” them with perfume or water to keep them “from wilting” and to remain beautiful forever. The idea behind this ritual is that it symbolizes blooming, prosperity, and fertility. In this region, decorating the gates of unmarried girls’ houses with fir branches is also practiced. A day before Easter, boys decorate the gates, and their reward consists of traditional food they receive on Easter Day.
In Bihor, on Maundy Thursday, sacred fires are lit in cemeteries to announce the Resurrection of the Lord. Bihor locals also practice a custom of throwing eggs at targets.
In Moldova, unmarried girls go to church and wash the bell tower with fresh water, then wash their faces with the same water the next morning. The idea behind this ritual is that in this way, girls will be courted by boys seeking their other half. Also, on Easter Day, boys in love go to the homes of the girls they admire and offer them a red egg.
In the Maramureș area, women mourn during Holy Week; towels and curtains in the house are also dark-colored, but on the day of the Resurrection, they are replaced with white ones.
Easter Superstitions
In addition to Easter traditions and customs, several superstitions have spread and taken root in Romania:
- Believers wear new clothes for the Easter service. It is said that this custom began over a thousand years ago, during the time when Christianity emerged. New clothes symbolize Resurrection, Jesus Christ’s new life, and signify openness to the purification of the soul and body.
- The candle from the Resurrection service is kept at home, and it is lit in cases of illness, distress, or natural calamities.
- It is said that on Easter morning, before anything else, one should look at the water in a vessel of fresh water. This custom is believed to prevent vision problems for the year.
- At the Easter table, eggs, fish, and poultry are eaten. Eggs symbolize health, fish represents agility, and eating poultry is thought to grant the ability to be “light-footed.”
- If an Easter egg is kept for 40 days after the holiday and does not spoil, the person who keeps it will have good luck throughout the year.
- A small piece of iron is placed under the doorstep on Easter to protect the household.
- If the first person to cross the threshold on Easter Day is a man, it brings good luck.
- It is said that the souls of those who die on Easter go to heaven.
- Children born on Easter will have a harmonious, blessed, and fortunate life.