Episode 2 - Christmas stories in Romania
Romanian Culture&Traditions”For me, the time spent in Romania during holidays was a very sarmale Christmas. On Christmas Day, I participated in preparing the sarmale and then eating it together with my friend David at Diana’s house (from Romania). So I learned how to make them, and also how to make mamaliga. So I far as my Christmas in Romania goes, I ate a lot of sarmale, a lot of food that Diana prepared. Now I know how to make sarmale, that’s for sure.”
- Anne from A Year in Romania
”When I received the invitation of staying in Romania during Christmas I didn’t hesitate. Christmas in Romania is a time of hospitality and caroling, a time to stay with your family and enjoy beautiful dinners. Where I have been invited I ate all kind of homemade cookies, foods and drunk homemade nectars, tuica, palinka. Christmas in Romania challenges one's self-control. I received a lot of invitation from the friends I made in Romania. Besides Cluj, I also spent some time in Satu Mare, Ocna Şugatag, Bistrita, Vatra Dornei, Suceava. I met Petre Bârlea from Sighetu Marmatiei.”
” The thing that I remember the most when I spent my Christmas in Romania was the dance and the song – when the men sing "Ța-ța-ța, caprița-ța!", which means, roughly, "Go-go-go-go-go-goat!". I was very lucky to get some good footage of the goat dance. I liked the moment, people dressed in a goat with drums and brass instruments wander through towns and villages playing traditional music.