 ROMANIAN KIYOSE
...........LIST OF SEASON
WORDS
.........Cristian
Mocanu, RO
INTRODUCING ROMANIA
General Remarks about this Romanian kiyose:
Romania is a middle-sized country for European standards, but displays a
huge diversity in matters of geography and climate. The diversity is even
more striking in matters of different cultures represented, and the way they
interact and influence each other. I have tried to the best of my abilities
to reflect that, while avoiding to get too “regional” except for my part of
the country (southwestern Transylvania) where I feel more at home.
Religious Festivals and Celebrations
Romania is a very religious country: a recent survey showed that 93% of the
population believes in God and 87% identify themselves with one of the
recognized religious denominations. Indeed there is no trace of the
secularism found in most of western Europe; in this respect, Romania looks
more like Mexico or the Philippines.
While most of the country’s inhabitants are Orthodox, Romania also has a
significant Catholic population, belonging to three different rites, which
has been there since time immemorial. The interaction of the two spiritual
and liturgical traditions has shaped the Romanian soul as it is now, a fact
recently recognized by the political class, the media etc., who now tend to
regard the two Churches as equal-ranking, traditional Churches (a situation
similar to that in Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary etc.
I chose to reflect that by listing the religious feast days of both
traditions. It should be noted that the Romanian Orthodox Church uses the
Gregorian calendar for all celebrations except Easter and the mobile
celebrations depending on the date of Easter (a situation similar to that in
Bulgaria and Greece, and unlike that in Russia, Ukraine or Serbia).
Legal and Civic Holidays
(by “civic holiday” I mean a day which is officially commemorated-including
those by Government sponsored events-, but is not a legal holiday, i.e.
people don’t get a free day from work).
Abbreviations used:
-for categories: N=nature; OT=Observances and traditions;
H=humanity (includes food and elements pertaining to modern life)
-for sections: E=early; M=middle; L=late; 3=all three
-for Religious festivals and celebrations : C=Catholic,
O=Orthodox; O/C=both
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WHCworldkigo
Romanian
Kiyose
(Under
Construction) |
.. .. .. SPRING
.. .. Season
“timpul fără mere”/”no-apple-season “starts (mid-April)
Apples grown in Romania may roughly be divided into “winter” and
“summer apples”. In-between there’s a gap, commonly said to start on
St. George’s Day (Apr.14th ) (M)
Văraticul începe/Shepherd’s summertime starts.
Also roughly on St. George’s Day, flocks move up to the highlands,
where they find better pastures.
.. .. Heaven
“zăpada mieilor”/”lamb snow”
Name given to the easy-melting snow fallen in the 1st half of March.
Seen as winter’s “farewell”. (E)
Snow (yuki)
.. .. Earth
.. .. Humanity
“School Olympics Week” (usually mid-April)
School contests by subject (from Chemistry to Philosophy and from Computer Sciences to
Latin), aka the School Olympics are held throughout the school year.
The national finals last for a week, generating a beehive-like
atmosphere in the school and a youthful and celebrative atmosphere
in the host cities.
.. .. Observances
Mărţişor (March 1st)
An “amulet” given by Romanians to all the
important women in their lives. Symbolizes the advent of spring. (E)
Martisor (Amulet)
"Zilele babelor”/“Old-women-days” (March 1st to 8th)
Based on an old
legend, one is supposed to pick one of these days with inconsistent
weather; if it snows on that particular day, it’s a bad omen, if
it’s sunny, it’s a good omen for the rest of the year. (E)
Vopsitul/încondeiatul/ciocnitul ouălor de Paşti/Painting/drawing/knocking
of Easter eggs
No chocolate eggs for Easter! For the Romanians it’s
real eggs, hard-boiled, painted (usually in red), or turned into
breathtaking artifacts by complicated drawings. One knocks them open
by saying “Christ is risen/Indeed he is risen” at each Easter meal
(not the ones with drawings!) (M)
Easter
“Udatul”/“Watering” (the week after Easter)
Originally a Hungarian tradition it entails men (especially single)
sprinkling women (especially single) with perfume. Customary in
Transylvania now, regardless of ethnic group or denomination; unknown
elsewhere. (M)
.. .. Animals
Întoarcerea păsărilor călătoare/cuibăritul berzelor/Migrating birds
return/storks nesting (mid-March-mid-April)
Storks nesting is especially important to farmer families because of
the bonds existing between humans and those birds. (M)
Puii ies din ouă/Chicken hatching (mid-April)
An important event in rural and semi-rural areas. (M)
Piţigoi/Titmouse
This bird should be a spring kigo. It is commonly believed to have
two kinds of songs in spring, one heralding a wet summer, the other
a dry one. No one cares which “aria” it sings in the rest of the
year! (3)
Cărăbuşi/Cock chaffers
Seen around May Day, they don’t outlast the 1st week of May. (L)
Rusalii/Mayflies; ”înflorirea râurilor”/”river flowering”
These ephemera live their short spectacular lives on the rivers in
the Far North and Far West, the resulting phenomenon sometimes
called “river flowering.” (L)
.. .. Plants
Ghiocei/Snowdrops
The spring kigo par excellence. “Early snowdrops” (late February)
are a good omen, their total absence in a year a very bad one. (E)
Flori de liliac/Lilacs
Flowering in May/early June, some early poets associated their scent
with unreciprocated love(L)
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.. .. ..
SUMMER
.. .. Season
.. .. Heaven
Furtuni de vară/Thunderstorms
Very common from late May to late August but hardly occur at other
times during the year. (3)
Typhoon (Japan)
.. .. Earth
.. .. Humanity
Anul şcolar se încheie/Schoolyear ends (June 15th)
A very festive occasion for everyone! (E)
Graduation
(Melancolia de) Extrasezon fotbalistic/”out-of-soccer-season”(blues)
Soccer season ends in early June and during the few weeks without
their favourite pastime and conversation topic, (at least part of)
Romania’s male population may suffer from a (scientifically
diagnosed!) mild form of depression. (3)
Mersul la mare/Going to the seaside
The wonderful Black Sea beaches are attractive as early as May Day,
but get crowded after the end of the schoolyear. (3)
Festivaluri şi concerte în aer liber/Open air concerts and
festivals
A lot of them take place everywhere in summer. A special mention
should be made of the Sighişoara Mediaeval Festival which lasts for
a whole month (either July or August). (3)
.. .. Observances
Sânziene: June 24th (nights before and after)
Formerly associated with magic, divination and matchmaking, they are
now occasions for parties and dances celebrating summer. (E)
Pelerinaje/vizite la mănăstiri/Pilgrimages/visits to monasteries.
These increase dramatically on and around Dormition/Assumption Day
(Aug.15th ); I would rate it as a late summer kigo.
Pilgrimages
.. .. Animals
Ciocârlie/Skylark
A symbolical bird for Romanians, it is closely associated with the
wheat harvest. (3)
Urşii se întorc în bârlog/Bears start hibernating (August) (L)
.. .. Plants
Cireşe/Cherries (June)
In the traditional calendar, June is called “Cireşar” (cherry month).
Girls sometimes wear them as earrings-a delightful sight. (E)
Mere de vară/Summer apples
Powerfully scented, but arguably less nutritious, they can be found
from June to mid-August.(3)
Treieratul grâului/Wheat harvest (3)
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.. .. .. AUTUMN
.. .. Season
.. .. Heaven
.. .. Earth
.. .. Humanity
.. .. Observances
.. .. Animals
.. .. Plants
|
.. .. .. WINTER
.. .. Season
.. .. Heaven
.. .. Earth
.. .. Humanity
.. .. Observances
.. .. Animals
.. .. Plants |
.. .. ..
NEW YEAR
.. .. Season
.. .. Heaven
.. .. Earth
.. .. Humanity
.. .. Observances
.. .. Animals
.. .. Plants |
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