Easter food

Food is very important for

all living beings. Food is any
substance

consumed to
provide nutritional support for
the body. If we are looking in a
dictionary at this word we will
fnd out that food means
something you put in your
mouth,something eatable that
helps you to live,helps you to
survive day by day.
Easter food is more than that because this have a symbolic and
distinguishing feature. In Easter period, food brings us together,
makes us happier and gives us a festivity feeling. Ester is the
renewal of nature. The ecitement flls the air. The bright and
peaceful Easter must be flled with love, laughter and goodness. In
general, every country has her specifc type of food in that kind of
situations. The Easter is the most important celebration of the
!omanian people and it is preceded by numerous preparations and
rituals. For eample any discussion about Easter "oliday must
relate directly or indirectly to three ritual#symbolic foods$ %asca,
lamb and eggs.
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In the article 'eliefs and practices of Easter written by
(ristian )oicila, secretary at *useum of the !omanian peasant, we
fnd out that the %asca has a round shape because it is believed
that +aviour diaper had the same shape. Its content varies. ,sually
we put into it salt, milk, cloves, cinnamon, sa-ron. +ometimes it has
a cross in the middle, sometimes it is simply.
It is important to know that in our country the traditions are
di-erent from a region to another. !omania is divided into seven
regions named in the following way$ *oldova, .obrogea near the
'lack +ea, *untenia, /ltenia, 'anat, *armure0 in the north and the
middle of the country named Transilvania.
1hen I was at (o2ia *onastery, I hear that %asca or Easter
cheese cake in s3uare shape represents the 4esus grave or tomb. /n
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5leandrescu .orina and 'alan (ristina, page &&6.
the edges are put braided dough and in the middle a cross made of
dough which symboli2e the cross on which 4esus was crucifed. In the
same 2one the shell of eggs from which Easter cake is made isnt
throw it anywhere or burnt. +he is collected in a container and
thrown on a stream.
+imion Florea *arian, one of the most important !omanian
ethnographer a7rms that 8the lamb symboli2e the +on of 9od who
was immolated and the egg is the universe, or the creator of the
world who engenders everything and contain all inside. The
traditional main dishes at Easter in !omania are prepared from fresh
lamb$ lamb roast and drob :lamb haggis contains spiced minced
lamb organs with green onion, green garlic and eggs in lamb
stomach;.
,,.yed eggs are traditional food at Easter, but of course in this
category we cannot include the beautiful hand painted eggs, which
are emptied of their contents. +uch eggs are purely decorative.
Everywhere in !omania, in the 9reat Thursday, :the Thursday before
the Easter is called <the 9reat Thursday=, <the Thursday of
su-erings= or <the black Thursday=;, eggs are dyed in red, yellow,
green, blue or black, each of these colors having its special meaning,
for eample red stands obviously for the blood of (hrist, green is a
symbol of passing from winter to spring and black stands for 4esus
su-ering on the cross.=
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I saw in the T) news ?anal . that in a sleepy village
(iocane0ti, +uceava city, the eggs are painted with geometrical
motifs on a black background. /nly in this region of our country the
eggs are painted in black. /ther traditional motifs are the sun, the
lost path, hori2ontal and vertical lines. In that area that kind of motifs
are founded on traditional clothes and houses. The colors also have
some characteristics$ white is purity, virginity, yellow is richness,
opulence, black is infnity, blue is the big sky and green is the feld or
the grass. 5fter the eggs receive the elements listed above, he is
surrounded in wa. +pecial instruments are used for decorating
them. These take the form of very thin and round sticks and are
called <chi0ita :bi@ara;=, <maAuf :moAoc;= or <fe0teleu=. The
<fe0teleu= is a sharp stick made of beech wood. 5t one end it has
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http$BBwww.rounite.com
little pieces of cotton. The <fe0teleu= is soaked in melted wa. In
contact with the surface of the egg, little dots will appear.
/n Cational Television T)! & I saw, in third Easter day, other
reportage about *aramure0. "ere the eggs are painted in 9reat
Thursday, before Easter. The process of painting is interesting
because the eggs are boiled in water with union shell or red beet,
with shell of nuts or nettle. That tradition is ancestral and dated
before (hrist. )ery important and a specifc old custom is that the
eggs which are taken at church in the Easter basket for sanctifcation
are peeled all the time. In *aramure0 the Easter basket is taken at
the church in frst day when in 'ucovina is taken in the night of
(hrists !esurrection.
!elated to eggs we should not forget the traditional custom of
knocking the eggs. This starts the frst day of Easter and it continues
till the 9reat +unday. 1hen cracking eggs the two parts involved
should say <(hrist is risenD=, and the answer to this is <"e is truly
risenD= E this is also the greeting that replaces the common <hello=
untill the 9reat +unday.
If we speak about co2onaci the di-erence is that they are not
an eclusive Easter dish, being also prepared for (hristmas,
weddings and other important celebrations. They have a round or
rectangular long shape. 5 loaf of co2onac and a few red eggs are
usually the alms gift, a traditional gift which is believed that feed the
souls of those who have died.
/ther not so traditional foods but which eist always at every
Easter table are$ stu-ed cabbage rolls :a mi of meat, rice and
vegetables covered by sauerkraut leaves; with polenta, stu-ed
peppers, beef salad, bread fresh from the oven, cheese with onion,
roast with garlic, bortsch by fowl, tripe soup, meatball soup and for
drinking most specifc is the wine, so called Auica :a drink made from
plums; or rachiu which is made from di-erent fruits, blueberry
li3ueur, viFinatG :a sour cherry li3ueur; and socatG :a non#alcoholic
beverage made of fermented elderHower blossom;.
In the regions which are near .anube or 'lack +ea like
.obrogea at every dinner, even it is or not a festive occasion like
Easter or (hristmas, on the table must eist one or more fsh dishes.
+ome of them are$ fsh meatballs, roe salad :traditionally from carp,
pike or various marine fsh species;, carp in brine and smoked fllet
fsh or fsh soup.
,,!omanian cuisine is a diverse blend of di-erent dishes from
several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also
maintains its own character. It has been greatly inHuenced by
/ttoman cuisine, while it also includes inHuences from the cuisines
of other neighbours, such as 9ermans, +erbs, 'ulgarians and
"ungarians.=
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I conclude with the idea that doesnJt matter in what !omanian
region you live or visit because everywhere the food is great and
tasteful. 'ut worth to visit !omania in Easter period because then all
the housewives do for eating many wonderful types of food which if
you eat them you never forget the traditional and specifc taste.
+o, even the parts of the country are di-erent or not from the
point of view of Easter food and traditions, I hope that you
understood my message and net Easter will fnd you more peaceful,
happy and more interesed about the way of celebrating the @oy of life
around the Easter table, surrounded by your family. 5nd donJt forget,
among large meals, to o-er a prayer to 9od.
Bibliography:
5leandrescu .orina and 'alan (ristina, (ollection Practice booklet-
Easter recipes and tradition, nr.>I, "ubert 'urda *edia, 'ucharest, >KKL
(iubotaru Ion "., Easter eggs at Romanians- age, meanings, ritual-
ceremonial implications, %resa 'una, Iasi, >K&>
*indru Teodora, Easter in the family, in country and in the world, "ubert
'urda *edia, 'ucharest, >KKM
http$BBwww.eploringromania.com
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*indru Teodora, page >M.