Related to Mihaela’s post, “Epiphany and Saint John Day“, I want to tell you about some ancient traditions, banned by the communist authorities, traditions that have rebirth and know today a new life.

“The baptism of the horses” – this practice is spread in many rural communities in the Southern part of Romania (Wallachia and Dobrudja) and happens in Epiphany Day.

The peasants who come to the Epiphany religious service bring their horses, rich decorated, to the churchyard and the priest blesses the horses with a bunch of basil and the holy water. The legend says that the one who “baptizes” his horse will have a good health and a rich harvest in the year to come, and the horse will be healthy, too.

After the religious service, all the horses participates to a race where is not allowed the use of whip or spurs, and the fastest and the nicest horses are awarded. I’ve heard about a similar custom (the blessing of domestic animals) in Sweden, but I don’t know details.

“The ice cross” – another interesting custom is the rise of ice crosses, 2-3 m high, in the churchyard, crosses who stand until they melt.

In Northern Moldavia the crosses are built by the volunteer firefighters brigade, wearing their specific uniforms and leading their flag; after that, the priest, the church choir and the fire brigade go to every village institution, the priest blesses them and the others say three times “Kyrie Eleison” (an expression in Greek meaning “Lord, have mercy”).

“The baptism of all young John” – in Talmacel, near Sibiu, I saw a very interesting custom: after the religious service for Saint John’s Day, the participants dance “hora” (a dance in circle specific to all Romanian regions) and then go to the village’s river, the young boys by foot, the young girls in chariots, following an allegoric chariot; all have rich decorated folk costumes.

At river’s banks, all the young named John are symbolically “baptized” in the river’s waters, a ritual for purification and prosperity. In the villages where this custom is kept, most of the people are named “Ion” or “Ioana”. The locals told me that this tradition is unique in Romania and every Ion or Ioana swear to continue it.

Boboteaza Traditions Come Back to Life is a post from: Rounite

January 6th and 7th are two special days in the Christian Orthodox calendar. The Epiphany Day (Boboteaza, January 6th) and Saint John’s Day (Santion, January 7th) are two of the most popular religious holidays, rich in meanings and symbols.

For the Romanians the Epiphany Day, also called Boboteaza or Teofania, is a day of purity and cleanness, both spiritual and physical. This is the day when Saint John baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. Thus, it is customary for people to wear clean clothes and go to the church to fetch holy water – or aghiasma.

There are a few special customs crowning the day. The day before the Epiphany day is a day of black fasting: no eating or drinking (other than pure water) from dawn till dusk. It’s believed that those who fast get special powers that allow them to bring on the rain and that bachelorettes who fast will eventually wed good men. In some parts of Romania, maidens also place a stem of basil under their pillow to dream of their future husbands. The basil used by the priest to bless the homes of the followers is believed to have magical powers.

The Orthodox priests travel from house to house to purify the homes with holy water and prayers. The priest dips a bundle of basil in aghiasma and then shakes it over people and their belongings, to let the holy water drops spread over as many things as possible. In many places the lady of the house opens all the doors and waits for the priest with a lit candle in her hand. The priest blesses first any religious representations people have in their houses (usually icons and crucifixes), then the children, then the men of the house and in the end the women.

The Epiphany ceremony takes place outdoors, usually near a large body of water that shall be blessed by the priest. In places without rivers or lakes the priest blesses large quantities of water, stored in wooden barrels, for example.

This is the day when the priest embodies Saint John. If there are frozen lakes and rivers on Epiphany Day it is customary for people to cut a cross of ice and to make the place of service. In the absence of ice a large wooden cross will mark the place. At the end of the ceremony this cross will get tossed into the waves and to get purified by all sins and wickedness young men will go into the water to search for the cross.

Peasants also believe that he who enters holy waters today will stay safe from illness and evil all year.

The day after Epiphany Day is Saint John’s Day – or “Sfantul Ion” (in short Santion) in Romanian. This is the last religious holiday in the Christmas chain. Christmas trees are taken down today. In some parts of Romania the gates of those named “John” (Ion) are decorated with Christmas trees. John is also the most widespread name in Romania.

Epiphany and Saint John Day is a post from: Rounite