Christmas Day in Romania
Christmas Day, or Crăciun, is celebrated in Romania on December 25 as the feast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Romanian Orthodox teaching and customs give the holiday a religious focus, while carols and seasonal food also mark its place in public and family life.[1][2]
Religious meaning and history
For the Romanian Orthodox Church, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The church describes Romanian carols as popular songs that express the joy of the Nativity and announce the birth of Christ.[1]
The Romanian Orthodox Patriarch has said that communist authorities tried to remove religious Christmas carols from Romanian tradition because of their religious content. He also noted that people preserved these customs, particularly in villages.[1]
Carols and regional traditions
Colinde, or Christmas carols, are sung by groups and individuals in villages, towns and Christian homes. The Orthodox Church describes them as a way to share the Nativity story and its message of joy. Church reporting also documents carol groups representing regions including Maramureș, Bucovina and Muntenia.[1][2]
Caroling is not limited to one region or setting: the Patriarchate has welcomed groups from different parts of the country, and the church describes carols as sung across Romania, from Maramureș to Dobrogea and from Banat to Moldova and Bucovina.[1][2]
Christmas food
Seasonal dishes vary among households. The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant identifies pork sarmale and cozonac as foods made for Christmas; museum material about a pre-Christmas event in Bucharest also lists regional cozonac and sarmale among seasonal foods.[3][4]
Public holiday and practical plans
Romania’s Labor Code lists the first and second days of Christmas among public holidays on which work is not done. If an employee works on such a holiday in a workplace where activity cannot be interrupted, the employer must provide compensatory time off or, if that is not possible, a pay increase of at least 100% for the work performed during normal hours.[5]
The legal rule concerns work and does not set opening hours for individual shops, banks or transport services. Check directly with a bank, retailer or transport operator before making plans; their schedules may differ.[5]
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas Day in Romania?
Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. The Labor Code also lists the following day as the second day of Christmas.[5]
Is Christmas Day a public holiday and a day off work?
Yes. The Labor Code lists both Christmas Day and the second day of Christmas as public holidays on which work is not done, subject to rules for workplaces where activity cannot be interrupted.[5]
Do workers who work on Christmas Day receive compensation?
When work cannot be interrupted, an employer must provide compensatory time off or, if that is not possible, increase pay by at least 100% for work performed during normal hours.[5]
Are shops, banks and public transport open on Christmas Day?
The Labor Code does not set customer opening or transport schedules. Check the specific shop, bank or transport operator for its Christmas Day hours or service timetable.[5]
Sources and references
Sources used for Christmas Day in Romania:
- Satul românesc exprimă bucuria Crăciunului prin colinde- Basilica.ro, Romanian Orthodox Church News Agency
- Colinde din folclorul românesc la Reședința Patriarhală. PF Daniel: Transmiteți o pace și o bucurie deosebită prin cântarea dumneavoastră- Basilica.ro, Romanian Orthodox Church News Agency
- Aplauze furtunoase- National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
- 100 de tradiții românești | 11 - 13 decembrie 2020- National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
- Labor Code- General Employee Register, Labor Inspection of Romania