Radio România Internațional

Tag: new year

  • New Year’s Eve in Romania

    New Year’s Eve in Romania

    In Romania, there is a tradition of organizing parties in the squares of big cities at the turn of the year. The big stages, on which well-known artists perform, the merry atmosphere and the spectacular fireworks have been the ingredients in the New Year’s Eve recipe for success for quite a while. Moreover, hotels organize various raffle and costume parties, while rural guesthouses organize folklore shows.



    The town halls of the big cities, Brașov, Sibiu, Timișoara, have already prepared a very busy program for the night between years. Traian Bădulescu, a travel consultant and spokesperson for the National Association of Travel Agencies is at the microphone with details: “Tourists have developed this tradition of going into the streets at midnight and then go back to their hotel or where they’re spending their holidays. There are shows, fireworks and there is also a special atmosphere, as there are hundreds or thousands of people in the streets, who are really partying and feeling happy on the New Year’s Eve. We have long traditions about the New Year’s Eve party.



    Baile Herculane or Herculane Spa, a resort recognized for its waters with curative powers and for its air quality, can be a perfect destination for the New Year’s Eve. Thus, a four-night stay, in a double room, at a four-star hotel, costs around 1,300 euros. The price includes breakfast, a festive dinner on the New Year’s Eve and a late brunch on January 1st. There are also budget offers in Herculane. You can rent, for example, a room in a two-star holiday house for only 150 lei (50 euros) per night, without meals included.



    By choosing a spa resort, you can spend the night between years and equally relax in the first days of 2024, says Traian Bădulescu: There is a big increase in demand for spa resorts. The rates are more affordable than those of the top hotels in the mountain resorts. And its worth noting that spa resorts are also located in picturesque, hilly and mountainous areas. The degree of occupancy is currently 90% to 100% for many hotels. There is great demand for resorts such as Băile Herculane, Băile Felix, Balvanyos, Sovata, Călimănesti-Căciulata. Most tourists do not necessarily go for spa treatment during this period, they go for the quality of the services and the picturesque landscapes of the regions. But there are many who choose relaxation, wellness and spa services as there are many such offers at hotels in spa resorts.



    The world of the Romanian village is fascinating during Christmas, and the atmosphere of celebration continues until the New Year’s Eve. Packages for New Year’s Eve in Bucovina, for example, include up to five nights of accommodation, between December 28 and January 4, with meals included, festive dinner and various shows. A double room, at a 3-daisy guesthouse, costs 1,245 lei (250 euros). The festive dinner is paid for separately and costs 450 lei (90 euros) for adults and 150 lei (30 euros) for children. Guests will admire a beautiful firework show and will listen to the carols from Bucovina.



    Traian Bădulescu: There are many tourists who choose rural tourism for the New Year’s Eve and go to such localities as Bran-Moieciu and Fundata. The famous English journalist Charlie Ottley has already settled in Șirnea, Fundata, Șirnea being the oldest tourist village in Romania. There are tourists who choose Mărginimea Sibiului, Bucovina, Maramureș, Neamț area, Apuseni Mountains, Oltenia under the mountain and Vrancea. There are many rural tourism destinations in Romania and prices are also quite affordable. Some tourists choose to rent a room, but there are also groups of families and friends who rent an entire guesthouse to spend their holidays. People started making reservations for rural guesthouses with 5 up to 15 rooms as early as this spring, more precisely in April and May. In the last 10-15 years, in many rural localities, events for tourists have been created, leaving aside the accommodation and festive dinner. Among the events and activities on offer are: small handicraft fairs with local artisans on the first and second of January, sleigh rides, or horse-drawn carriage rides. I’m glad that Romanian tourists have returned to Romanian traditions in the recent years.



    People also choose to spend the New Year’s Eve at the Black Sea. They can watch the sea in winter, sometimes troubled, sometimes calm and frozen. The offer of a five-star hotel on the Romanian Black Sea Coast is 966 euros for a three-night stay, for two adults. At a three-star hotel, a double twin room costs about 510 euros for a two-night stay, for two people.



    Traian Bădulescu: The Black Sea Coast is also an option for the winter holidays. More and more people are booking hotels at the seaside. There are dozens of hotels permanently open on the coast. The rates are lower, of course, than in the mountains, because in the mountains its the peak of the season. There are quality hotels that offer wellness and spa centers, as well as New Year’s Eve parties and festive dinners with well-known guest artists.



    The offer for the New Year’s party in Romania is very diverse and for all budgets, and the common denominator, regardless of the option chosen, is joy and hope for a better year. Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year! (LS)

  • The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President

    The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President


    The time between the two years has
    always been a moment filled with significance and emotions because we are
    celebrating the end of a stage and the beginning of a new one, Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis says in his New Year’s message to the Romanians.
    According to him, even if 2022 was a difficult year for all of us, fraught with
    deep crises and a terrible war close to the country’s borders, the Romanians
    are looking towards the year 2023 with hope and confidence. The historical
    challenges we had to deal with have emphasized our force of
    character, our ability
    to stay in solidarity, united and committed to successfully overcoming any
    obstacle, the president says in his message. Let’s us learn how to turn any
    crisis into an opportunity to become a better and stronger nation. Romania,
    Iohannis says, is developing day by day and making visible progress in every
    domain. The president concluded by urging the Romanians to work together for a prosperous
    future in peace and harmony and wished them a Happy New Year!

  • December 31, 2022 UPDATE

    December 31, 2022 UPDATE


    NEW YEAR PM Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians proved their solidarity, handled challenges “hard to imagine” and managed to do more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised that the government would continue to protect citizens interests, to support the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of Romania wished “A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts” to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and abroad.



    MEASURES In Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel prices rise beyond citizens spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will remain in place.



    JUDICIARY The year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institutions Facebook page. According to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says that the Ministrys top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.



    POPE European leaders paid tribute to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday, aged 95. The president of France Emmanuel Macron praised him for his work towards a “more brotherly world”. Former Pope Benedict XVI was a “giant of faith and reason” and “a great figure in history, that history will never forget”, Italys PM Giorgia Meloni said in turn. The British PM Rishi Sunak voiced his sadness with the former Popes death, and praised him as a “great theologian.” Germanys chancellor Olaf Scholz also said that with the death of Benedict XVI, the world lost “a formative figure” of the Catholic Church. “He had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church,” the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen posted. The former Pope spent his last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state. Elected on April 19, 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health. Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down voluntarily.



    ECONOMY Romania has the most stable economy in the region and ends the year 2022 with an over 5% economic growth rate, the finance minister Adrian Câciu posted on social media. He warned however that 2023 will be a difficult year, still marked by inflation and requiring the best use of public policy instruments for investments, reforms and supporting vulnerable categories. Adrian Câciu also emphasised the political stability and the sound partnership between the government and social and economic stakeholders. (AMP)


  • December 31, 2022

    December 31, 2022

    NEW YEAR PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
    proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
    more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
    its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
    that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
    the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
    Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
    to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
    abroad.


    MEASURES In
    Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
    reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
    other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
    discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
    prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
    be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
    remain in place.


    JUDICIARY The
    year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
    Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
    to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
    achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
    able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
    social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
    from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
    that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
    being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
    Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.


    POPE Pope emeritus
    Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
    few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
    last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
    resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
    2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
    of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
    announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
    Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
    voluntarily.


    FUNDING
    Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
    all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
    risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
    announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
    the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
    networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
    community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
    period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

  • December 27, 2022

    December 27, 2022


    FLU – Over 100,000 cases of flu have been reported in Romania, particularly in children. Experts advise in favor of taking the anti-flu and anti-COVID shots, vulnerable categories in particular. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says he expects a new wave of COVID that would result in a higher number of serious cases in Romania. A little over 3,400 people have been diagnosed with COVID, of whom 950 were reinfected.



    SEARCH – Search and rescue teams continue to look for the Ukrainian citizens who got lost on Saturday while trying to cross Maramureș Mountains. On Monday, only one person was rescued due to severe weather conditions. The authorities involved in the operation announced that two of the three Ukrainians who are still stranded are in critical condition and are located in an area that is hard to access due to rocky terrain and changing weather conditions. To retrieve them, the authorities received support from FRONTEX. A Diamond aircraft flew over the Romanian-Ukrainian border area. Made up of six people, the group of Ukrainians tried to illegally enter Romania by crossing the alpine border. Search and rescue operations were hampered after the men didn’t want to disclose their location on the first day. The Border Police says the men are aged 23-33. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Kyiv authorities have called a general mobilization and decreed martial law, which forbids able men aged 18-60 from leaving the country.



    NEW YEAR – The Interior Ministry has taken special precautions to maintain public order around New Year’s Eve. 24,500 police officers, gendarmes, border police officers, firefighters and employees with other structures will be mobilized on a daily basis. Road traffic police will deploy 290 traffic radars and will test drivers for alcohol and illegal substances. The authorities expect a new wave of tourists to head to mountain resorts on Prahova Valley and have prepared special teams of mountain gendarmes.

    MOLDOVA – Moldova’s president Maia
    Sandu hailed the initiative of the Moldovan Education Ministry to provide
    free-of-charge Romanian-language classes to Moldovan adults who don’t use
    Romanian on a daily basis. Launched in 2013, the program was underfunded and
    offered classes for children only. The state budget for 2023 earmarks
    additional funds to extend the program, the Moldovan Presidency reports. The Moldovan
    Government is expected to pass a decree providing all the details of the
    program, which starting next year will be better suited to meet the Romanian
    language demands of Moldovan adults, says president Maia Sandu.



    FEAST DAY – Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians today celebrate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, one of the deacons elected to serve in the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Stephen was accused of blasphemy by Jewish clerics and was stoned to death. Roman-Catholic Christians celebrated Saint Stephen on the second day of Christmas. Over 500,000 people celebrate their name day on this occasion.



    HANDBALL – The men’s handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia will take part in this year’s edition of the Carpați Trophy tournament, held over December 28-29 in Oradea, the Romanian Handball Federation reports. Egypt and Algeria have secured qualification to the 2023 World Cup, to be held in January 2023. Coach Xavi Pascual has called up 24 players to the squad, which convened on Monday for training. (VP)



  • New Year celebration in Romania

    New Year celebration in Romania

    The coming of the new year is one of the most awaited events in the world. Although for some the calendar date is a mere convention, the New Year is celebrated on all continents. In the Romanian tradition, the New Year used to be called Little Christmas, because all the rites to replace the old time took place in the spring. Although it was believed that the New Year actually begins at Christmas or even earlier, on St. Andrew’s, on November 30, the custom of caroling to announce a new beginning was a must at the end of the year.

    Pre-Christian rites play a special role in celebrating the transition into the new year. Given the fact that this moment does not have a religious dimension, the customs have remained almost unchanged over time. An ancient solar cult has passed down to present rituals in which animals are the main element, such as the Dance of the Bear and the Goat. The costumes are prepared the week before Christmas, and the dancers’ masks have the expressiveness of the folk craftspeople who make them with creativity and humor. Delia Suiogan, an ethnologist with the Northern University of Baia Mare explains:

    For the New Year, people go caroling to neighbors and friends. The so-called road carols are no longer preserved. On this night, in Maramureș you will be delighted by the beautiful carols, because here, unlike the other areas of the country, the emphasis is on the carol as a song. The people of Maramures know many beautiful Christian carols, but there is still a very rich fund of pre-Christian carols, with many symbols related to the solar system and the rebirth of the sun and nature.

    People in rural communities still believe that the night between years facilitates their access to the divine realm. In the folk tradition, the messages given to people at special times over the year, at major holidays, and at time thresholds are considered to be the only truly important ones for both the community and the individual. Sabina Ispas, director of the Constantin Brăiloiu Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Bucharest has the details:

    There is a suite of ceremonial and festive actions, among which Sorcova is very well known, which was practiced especially by younger children. The same goes for the Plough procession, involving both children and adults, married people, with families. The original meaning of the Big Plough was that of protection and sanctification, at the same time, all of which were aspects of the festive celebration of the great feast, from which the carol was derived as a ritual. All that would mark, therefore, the New Year, the whole ceremony ending with the so-called carol of Saint John. These special times, Christmas and New Year, are related to the tradition of opening the heavens. It is, in fact, about the perception, understanding and acceptance of the act of theophany. In all power, the divinity descends upon the earth and the people. That is why it was said that the heavens were opened, because God could communicate directly with his creation, with man. At these special times, when the heavens open, people can find out things that may happen to them during the year that is about to begin. It is not a question of divination, as is believed, but of a message which God conveys to people at a time when he can have direct and close contact with them.

    Also on New Year’s Eve, young women used to predict their future. Here is Sabina Ispas again:

    There are a lot of ceremonial practices, through which people try to ensure a correct and as complex as possible communication with the divinity. Especially young girls, who want to know if and who they will marry and what that person will be like. They try to decipher the qualities of their future partners, associating the image of hidden things that the girls have to discover. If they discover black ember, the chosen one would be a brunette. If they discover dry branches, it will be a marriage with a person older than them.

    For the history of our culture, the period between Christmas and Saint John, on January 7, is one of the richest in such ceremonial and festive actions. Modern society has turned the New Year’s celebration into an occasion of partying with family and friends, in oraganized events that end only at the dawn of the first day of the following year. (MI)

  • January 1, 2021

    January 1, 2021

    A HAPPY NEW YEAR!


    New Year celebration — The whole world celebrated the New Year in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic. Open air parties were cancelled and people stayed at home, observing the quarantine or restrictive measures imposed by the authorities in a move to stop the spread of the disease. Many traditional events on the New Year such as fireworks shows and concerts were broadcast online. The first to welcome the new year 2021 with fireworks shows were the inhabitants of the island countries of Kiribati and Samoa in the Pacific Ocean followed by New Zealand and Australia where the traditional fireworks shows took place without spectators. In Europe, most people stayed at home and watched TV while in the US 2020 the year of the pandemic ended in the spirit of the past 10 months, with restrictions, social distancing and bans on any kind of meeting or gathering. Romanians also missed the traditional New Year open air concerts. Most Romanians welcomed the New Year at home while others chose to travel. In the country, the top destinations for the New Year parties were the resorts on the Prahova Valley (south) and in Maramures county (north), Bukovina (northeast), the Black Sea Coast and the Danube Delta. As regards foreign destinations, Romanians chose the Maldives and Zanzibar.



    Messages — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis thanked the Romanian citizens in the traditional New Years message for the effort they made in 2020, a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Klaus Iohannis underlined that the entire country is looking with hope and confidence to the New Year 2021. The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has promised Romanians that the government will do its best to re-launch the economy this year, after 2020, a difficult year for the country. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liberal Ludovic Orban, has said in his New Years message that 2020 was perhaps the hardest year in Romanias recent history, but that he hopes that by mid-2021 vaccination will end the pandemic. The Speaker of the Senate, Anca Dragu, has stated, in her New Years message posted on her social media page, that she wants 2021 to be a year of recovery, when they are going to start to rebuild a better Romania ‘for us and the future generations’. Praying together, being kind and cooperating in doing good deeds can work wonders, turning fear into courage and hope, said the Patriarch of the majority Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, at the religious service held to mark the New Year.



    Brexit – As of January 1, 2021 the UK is no longer part of the EU. The UK’s new status brings about major changes in the relation between the UK and the EU. The most important changes concern the European citizens who want to work and study in the UK. 4 million EU citizens are living in the UK of whom almost 600,000 are Romanians. The great majority of EU citizens have asked for and received the right to stay in the UK after Brexit, which means that their rights are protected. The situation is different for those European citizens who intend to move to the UK in the future. Those who want to work in the UK will need a visa. Visas will be paid for and will be granted according to certain criteria. The Romanian and European students who want to study in the UK starting with the next academic year will also need visas and tuition fees will be considerably higher. The EU citizens who want to visit the UK as tourists do not need a visa if their stay is not longer than 6 months. The people who received criminal sentences higher than one year in prison may be denied entry into the UK as of January 1.



    EU presidency – Portugal took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from Germany on January 1. Its main objectives are to prepare for the post-Covid-19 recovery and to complete procedures aimed at implementing the Resilience and Recovery Facility. Lisbon will focus on five major domains: social Europe, green Europe, digital Europe, global Europe and resilient Europe. The social agenda will be at the top of the list of priorities, as a main pillar of the European response to COVID-19. Other issues on the agenda of the Portuguese presidency are the EUs relationship with the UK after Brexit, gender equality, the fight against discrimination, poverty and social exclusion and the protection of vulnerable groups.



    COVID-19 Romania — The national anti-COVID-19 campaign will be resumed on Monday, with the vaccination of the medical staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. Since the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, over 10 thousand people have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Romania, with common, minor side effects having been reported in 26 cases and general reactions in 22 cases. Almost 4 thousand new cases of contamination have been reported in the past 24 hours following the processing of 15,900 tests nationwide, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Friday. Until January 1, 2021, over 636,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Romania, with 566,365 patients having recovered. 74 deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 15,800. 1,111 patients are currently in ICUs. The number of Romanian citizens from abroad contaminated with the new coronavirus reached 7,063 and 130 have died from the disease. (tr. L. Simion)

  • New Year Dishes

    New Year Dishes

    Most of the main dishes are made of pork, predictably, since the New Year party comes a very short time after the break of Christmas Advent. Typical entrees are devilled egg, cheeses, or fish roe with olives, among other things.


    One of the things most popular with partygoers on New Years Eve is aspic, typically made from pork, but more recently from rooster or goose, and even chicken. If you opt for the latter, you will need about one kilogram of wings, thighs, or both, as well as a few heads and feet to give it better coagulation. You also need two onions, two carrots, a head of garlic and a few sprigs of green parsley. Boil the chicken parts with the carrots and the onion. Skim the liquid once it boils, and leave to cook until the meat shreds off the bone.



    At the end add salt to taste. Take out all the meat and bones, and then shred the meat in medium sized strips. Strain the liquid, and then add to it the minced garlic. Take several small bowls which will make up the individual servings. Place in each bowl for decoration slices of carrot and sprigs of green parsley, and maybe slices of pickled bell pepper. Place some strips of meat in the bowl as well. Top the bowls with the chicken stock, which you have previously cooled, then place them in a very cold place to congeal. Since on New Years Eve it is very cold in Romania, most people just put them out on the balcony. Try it yourself, and enjoy!

  • January 1, 2019 UPDATE

    January 1, 2019 UPDATE

    EU – Romania, which joined the community bloc on January 1, 2007, is holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time, as from January 1, 2019. Romania has taken over the presidency from Austria and hands it over to Finland, in July. Romania will stand the chance and equally will have the responsability to prove and capitalise on its potential and its European valences in an effort to boost what it means the European construction, to achieve a union of citizens, freedoms, joint efforts and capacities, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, said on Tuesday in a video message marking Romanias taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Members of the European Commission, led by Jean-Claude Juncker, will arrive in Bucharest on January 10 for talks on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency. Great Britains leaving the community bloc, negotiations on the EU budget for 2021-2027 and European Parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2019 will render the agenda of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union more complex. Against the backdrop of such challenges, Romania intends to promote during its 6-month tenure a pragmatic vision, focussed mainly on the principle of European cohesion at all levels: political, economic and social, the Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines. The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union are based on four main action pillars: Europe of convergence- growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, Europe of safety, Europe, a global actor and Europe of common, shared values. The official site of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has also been launched. The webpage available in Romanian, English and French at “romania2019.eu offers useful information for journalists, the public at large and experts on European affairs.



    MESSAGES – In his New Year message, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis has urged the Romanians to capitalise on the opportunity of holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union as from January 1, 2019 to prove that “Romania is seriously involved in consolidating the European project. In her turn, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă said Romania is ready and prepared to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She has underlined that this is a country project which should unite the state institutions, the political parties and civil society. In turn, the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, expresses confidence that 2019 will bring changes for the better to Romania, which should consolidate its position within the European Union. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, has said Romania has a huge development potential and can play a major role in Europe and not only.


    FINANCIAL – As from January 1st, the minimum wage in the Romanian economy has gone up to 445 Euros, 505 Euros for higher education graduates and to 645 Euros in the constructions sector, respectively. State sector employees will get higher salaries, with the exception of healthcare employees, as well meal bonuses, but they will no longer be paid for doing extra-hours, which will be compensated with hours off.


    CELEBRATIONS – Hundreds of thousands of Romanian revellers spent the night at the turn of the year in the street, attending various events organised in big cities across the country. In Bucharest, the City Hall organised an open air party, under the slogan “The Centennial New Years Eve Party, a show which marked 100 years since the setting up of the Romanian national unitary state. Performing onto the stage mounted in front of the Palace of Parliament were Delia, Antonia and Smiley, among others. The special guest of the event was the internationally acclaimed DJ, Andre Tanneberger, aka ATB. Grandiose fireworks crowned the show in the Constitution Square. Tighter security measures have been taken across the country, with over 25,000 employees of the Interior Ministry being mobilised to maintain order. Prevention and rescue missions in case of emergency situations have been accomplished by over 4,900 fire-fighters. Teams of paramedics have been dispatched in the proximity of public venues. 300 SMURD medical teams of the Service for Emergency Situations were also ready to intervene in case of medical emergencies.



    JOURNALISTS – The number of journalists and mass-media employees who died while doing their job increased to 94 in 2018, as compared to 82 in 2017, according to the International Federation of Journalists. The victims included 84 journalists, camera operators and technicians, as well as 10 staff members, among whom drivers and protection officers. They were assassinated, deliberately targeted at, or died in bomb attacks or skirmishes. Data released by the International Federation of Journalists actually show the current security and safety crisis in journalism, marked by the cruel killing of Washington Posts Saudi editorialist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, in October. This was the latest in a series of devastating attacks on media professionals, including multiple bomb attacks which turned Afghanistan into a lethal area for journalists.



    TENNIS – Romanian woman tennis player, Monica Niculescu (no.99 WTA), on Tuesday defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (no.22 WTA), in the first round of the Shenzhen tournament in China, with over 750,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. Monica will face, on Wednesday, in the eighth finals, the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (no.94 WTA). Also on Tuesday, in Shenzhen, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (no.84 WTA) defeated the French Pauline Parmentier (no. 55 WTA) 6-2, 6-2 and qualified to the next stage of the competition. In the quarters, Sorana will face the American Alison Riske (no.62 WTA).

  • New Year Traditions

    New Year Traditions

    In Romanian tradition, the first day of the New Year was known as Little Christmas, because most of the rituals related to the period were actually enacted in spring. Moreover, many rituals are associated with this time, such as Plugusorul, which literally means “little plough. Plugusorul is a specific carol which people, young men in particular, sing on the morning of January 1st to herald the New Year.



    Little Christmas was meant to reintegrate mans day-to-day life into the wider historical framework after a period of soul-searching that ended on Christmas Day. Carols represent the most important New Year tradition in Romania. In regions such as Maramures, in northern Romania, New Years wishes are still delivered in their archaic form.



    Many customs in Maramures are related to caroling, as caroling still continues once Christmas has passed. The period between Christmas and the New Year is usually known for mask caroling. The mask is an important element in the traditional mindset. It is an imaginary representation of the world beyond. They usually depict figures of old men, totemic animals or plants that help man reintegrate and reconnect to the world of the living or the white world, as it is ethnologically called. We therefore have pageants of masked men. The old man mask is deeply rooted in ancient traditions. The old woman and the old man usually acted as mediators between the worlds.



    The old mens dance in Maramures is highly symbolic. The men form a circle and strike the ground with their staffs. They also touch everyone attending the ritual with their staff, which has a rich symbolic value. The dance pays tribute to the cult of the ancestors, who are believed to restore any unbalance in the world. Then we have goat masks. The goat plays a fundamental role, as it dies and is reborn. She stands for the old year that comes to an end and the New Year, which comes with its abundance of blessings. Devil masks symbolize evil. Their role is to warn and recall people that there can be no good without evil, just as there can be no evil without good. Traditional communities have always brought these elements together in rituals.



    In the north-west of Romania, in Maramures, groups of carolers known as “brondosi in Romanian go from house to house every day between Christmas and New Year dressed in full costume and wearing masks made up of sheep skin. They carry bells and whips and the sound they produce is meant to drive away evil spirits from the community ahead of the New Year. According to a pre-Christian tradition, a number of rituals were performed on New Years Eve to ward off bad spirits and persuade the sun to stay longer in the sky. These groups of traditional carolers are today a popular tourist attraction.



    On New Years Eve, they put on the costumes they have inherited from their predecessors and go caroling from house to house. In Moldavia, in the east and north-east, a similar ritual is known as the “bears dance. Young men dressed in costumes made of bearskin and accompanied by musicians and drummers walk through every street in the village striking their whips in the air. People welcome them into their homes and ask them to perform the “bears dance in their gardens as part of a fertility rite. The bears dance stems from an ancient tradition. The bear was in fact considered a sacred animal by the Romanians ancestors, the Geto-Dacians.



    A ritual we find all over the country is wishing someone best wishes in the New Year while touching them lightly with the ‘sorcova, a stick adorned with artificial flowers. By this ritual gesture, a transfer of power is taking place from the vegetal to the human world. Other widespread New Year rituals are the predictions of future marriages. In Maramures, for example, young unmarried women go out into the garden on New Years Eve, climb on the log used for cutting the firewood and wait until the name of a young man is called out. It is believed she will marry someone bearing this name and coming from the direction wherefrom she hears the name being called out.



    Superstitions were also important for people living in traditional communities. It was believed, for example, that evil spirits are afraid of powerful sounds and light, so people would light big fires on New Years Eve to drive these spirits away. Also, people would not lock their house doors on this evening so as to give a good welcome to the year to come.

  • January 1, 2019

    January 1, 2019

    EU – Romania, which joined the community bloc on January 1, 2007, will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time, as from today. Romania takes over the presidency from Austria and hands it over to Finland, in July. Members of the European Commission, led by Jean-Claude Juncker, will arrive in Bucharest on January 10 for talks on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency. Great Britains leaving the community bloc, negotiations on the EU budget for 2021-2027 and European Parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2019 render the agenda of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union more complex. Against the backdrop of such challenges, Romania intends to promote during its 6-month tenure a pragmatic vision, focussed mainly on the principle of European cohesion at all levels: political, economic and social, the Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines. The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union are based on four main action pillars: Europe of convergence- growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, Europe of safety, Europe, a global actor and Europe of common, shared values. The official site of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has also been launched. The webpage available in Romanian, English and French at “romania2019.euoffers useful information for journalists, the public at large and experts on European affairs.



    MESSAGES – In his New Year message, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis has urged the Romanians to capitalise on the opportunity of holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union as from January 1, 2019 to prove that “Romania is seriously involved in consolidating the European project. In her turn, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă said Romania is ready and prepared to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She has underlined that this is a country project which should unite the state institutions, the political parties and civil society. In turn, the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, expresses confidence that 2019 will bring changes for the better to Romania, which should consolidate its position within the European Union. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, has said Romania has a huge development potential and can play a major role in Europe and not only.


    CELEBRATIONS – Hundreds of thousands of Romanians spent the night at the turn of the year in the street, attending various events organised in big cities across the country. In Bucharest, the City Hall organised an open air party, under the slogan “The Centennial New Years Eve Party, a show which marked 100 years since the setting up of the Romanian national unitary state. Performing onto the stage mounted in front of the Palace of Parliament were Delia, Antonia and Smiley, among others. The special guest of the event was the internationally acclaimed DJ, Andre Tanneberger, aka ATB. Grandiose fireworks crowned the show in the Constitution Square. Tighter security measures have been taken across the country, with over 25,000 employees of the Interior Ministry being mobilised to maintain order. Prevention and rescue missions in case of emergency situations have been accomplished by over 4,900 fire-fighters. Teams of paramedics have been dispatched in the proximity of public venues. 300 SMURD medical teams of the Service for Emergency Situations were also ready to intervene in case of medical emergencies.



    JOURNALISTS – The number of journalists and mass-media employees who died while doing their job increased to 94 in 2018, as compared to 82 in 2017, according to the International Federation of Journalists. Among those killed there were 84 journalists, camera operators and technical staff, as well as 10 members of the media personnel, among whom drivers and bodyguards. They were assassinated, deliberated targeted at, or died in bomb attacks or skirmishes. Data released by the International Federation of Journalists show the current security and safety crisis in journalism, marked by the cruel killing of Washington Posts Saudi editorialist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, in October. This was the latest in a series of devastating attacks on media professionals, including multiple bomb attacks which turned Afghanistan into a lethal area for journalists.



    FINANCIAL – As from today, the minimum wage in the Romanian economy rises to 445 Euros, 505 Euros for higher education graduates and to 645 Euros in the constructions sector, respectively. State sector employees will get higher salaries, with the exception of healthcare employees, as well meal bonuses, but they will no longer be paid for doing extra-hours, which will be compensated with hours off.



    TENNIS – Romanian woman tennis player, Monica Niculescu (no.99 WTA), has today defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (no.22 WTA), in the first round of the Shenzhen tournament in China, with over 750,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. Monica will face, on Wednesday, in the eighth finals, the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (no.94 WTA). Also today in Shenzhen, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (no.84 WTA) defeated the French Pauline Parmentier (no. 55 WTA) 6-2, 6-2 and qualified to the next stage of the competition. In the quarters, Sorana will face the American Alison Riske (no.62 WTA).

  • December 31, 2018

    December 31, 2018

    EU COUNCIL Romania takes over on January 1st, for the first time since its accession in 2007, the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The priorities of the Romanian presidency fall into 4 categories: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values. During its term, Romania will have to manage several complex issues like Brexit, the 2021-2027 budget, a coherent strategy on migration and increasing the Unions global role. The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. The page, available at romania2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts.




    NEW YEARS MESSAGE The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday released a New Years address, in which he urges Romanians to capitalise on the presidency of the EU Council in order to prove that “Romania is fully committed to consolidating the European project. PM Viorica Dancila also said today in her New Years address that Romania is prepared for the presidency of the EU Council, which it takes over on January 1. She emphasised that this is a national project that must bring together public institutions, political actors and civil society. Viorica Dancila also said that in 2019 her Cabinet will continue to take “the right decisions for Romania, and added that the Government has a “clear role: sustainable economic growth and major investments able to ensure better living standards for as many citizens as possible.




    POLICE In Romania, over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. Emergency intervention and prevention missions will be conducted these days by over 4,900 fire-fighters. On New Years night, fire-fighting and paramedic teams are deployed in the areas where public events are held. Around 300 emergency medical units are on standby. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. In Bucharest, the City Hall organises an over 6-hour long outdoor party that also celebrates the 100 years since the Romanian nation state was formed. Romanian artists will be joined by the international DJ Andre Tanneberger, known under the stage name ATB, who will mix live. Impressive fireworks shows are scheduled for midnight.




    RUSSIA The Romanian Foreign Ministry requested the Russian Embassy in Bucharest to update the historical information it uses, and stressed that past bilateral relations must not allow for speculations and unfounded opinions. The message follows a Russian Embassy Facebook post deploring the fact that Romanian and western media regularly publish articles that slander the Red Army troops who freed Central and Eastern Europe from fascism. “Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian critics insist on telling people that the Red Army was a gang of ruthless thieves and rapists, says the Embassy in the post that, the Romanian Foreign Ministry argues, lacks the accuracy required for an academic debate. Bucharest also mentions that a commission of Romanian-Russian historians has been set up, and is best suited to analyse the history of bilateral relations. The Soviet troops that marched into Romania at the end of World War 2 only left this country in 1958, and the communist dictatorship they ushered in lasted until 1989.




    JOURNALISTS The number of journalists and mass media workers killed on the job this year went up to 94, as compared to 82 in 2017, the International Federation of Journalists announced. The victims include 84 journalists, cameramen and technicians, as well as 10 media staff such as drivers and protection officers. They died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross fire incidents. The most dangerous place for journalists this year was Afghanistan.




    UKRAINE The presidential election campaign in Ukraine started on Monday and will last until March 31st. candidates have until February 3rd to enrol and until February 8th to register their candidacy with the Central Electoral Commission. According to the latest polls, the former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, is the frontrunner 16-18% of the vote intentions. The incumbent president, Petro Poroşenko, is gaining ground and ranks second in current polls with 14%, followed by the actor and comedian Vladimir Zelenskiy, with 8-12%.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • New Year Dishes

    New Year Dishes

    Most of the main dishes are made of pork, predictably, since the New Year party comes a very short time after the break of Christmas Advent. Typical entrees are devilled egg, cheeses, or fish roe with olives, among other things.


    One of the things most popular with partygoers on New Years Eve is aspic, typically made from pork, but more recently from rooster or goose, and even chicken. If you opt for the latter, you will need about one kilogram of wings, thighs, or both, as well as a few heads and feet to give it better coagulation. You also need two onions, two carrots, a head of garlic and a few sprigs of green parsley. Boil the chicken parts with the carrots and the onion. Skim the liquid once it boils, and leave to cook until the meat shreds off the bone.



    At the end add salt to taste. Take out all the meat and bones, and then shred the meat in medium sized strips. Strain the liquid, and then add to it the minced garlic. Take several small bowls which will make up the individual servings. Place in each bowl for decoration slices of carrot and sprigs of green parsley, and maybe slices of pickled bell pepper. Place some strips of meat in the bowl as well. Top the bowls with the chicken stock, which you have previously cooled, then place them in a very cold place to congeal. Since on New Years Eve it is very cold in Romania, most people just put them out on the balcony. Try it yourself, and enjoy!

  • New Year Traditions

    New Year Traditions

    In Romanian tradition, the first day of the New Year was known as Little Christmas, because most of the rituals related to the period were actually enacted in spring. Moreover, many rituals are associated with this time, such as Plugusorul, which literally means “little plough. Plugusorul is a specific carol which people, young men in particular, sing on the morning of January 1st to herald the New Year.



    Little Christmas was meant to reintegrate mans day-to-day life into the wider historical framework after a period of soul-searching that ended on Christmas Day. Carols represent the most important New Year tradition in Romania. In regions such as Maramures, in northern Romania, New Years wishes are still delivered in their archaic form.



    Many customs in Maramures are related to caroling, as caroling still continues once Christmas has passed. The period between Christmas and the New Year is usually known for mask caroling. The mask is an important element in the traditional mindset. It is an imaginary representation of the world beyond. They usually depict figures of old men, totemic animals or plants that help man reintegrate and reconnect to the world of the living or the white world, as it is ethnologically called. We therefore have pageants of masked men. The old man mask is deeply rooted in ancient traditions. The old woman and the old man usually acted as mediators between the worlds.



    The old mens dance in Maramures is highly symbolic. The men form a circle and strike the ground with their staffs. They also touch everyone attending the ritual with their staff, which has a rich symbolic value. The dance pays tribute to the cult of the ancestors, who are believed to restore any unbalance in the world. Then we have goat masks. The goat plays a fundamental role, as it dies and is reborn. She stands for the old year that comes to an end and the New Year, which comes with its abundance of blessings. Devil masks symbolize evil. Their role is to warn and recall people that there can be no good without evil, just as there can be no evil without good. Traditional communities have always brought these elements together in rituals.



    In the north-west of Romania, in Maramures, groups of carolers known as “brondosi in Romanian go from house to house every day between Christmas and New Year dressed in full costume and wearing masks made up of sheep skin. They carry bells and whips and the sound they produce is meant to drive away evil spirits from the community ahead of the New Year. According to a pre-Christian tradition, a number of rituals were performed on New Years Eve to ward off bad spirits and persuade the sun to stay longer in the sky. These groups of traditional carolers are today a popular tourist attraction.



    On New Years Eve, they put on the costumes they have inherited from their predecessors and go caroling from house to house. In Moldavia, in the east and north-east, a similar ritual is known as the “bears dance. Young men dressed in costumes made of bearskin and accompanied by musicians and drummers walk through every street in the village striking their whips in the air. People welcome them into their homes and ask them to perform the “bears dance in their gardens as part of a fertility rite. The bears dance stems from an ancient tradition. The bear was in fact considered a sacred animal by the Romanians ancestors, the Geto-Dacians.



    A ritual we find all over the country is wishing someone best wishes in the New Year while touching them lightly with the ‘sorcova, a stick adorned with artificial flowers. By this ritual gesture, a transfer of power is taking place from the vegetal to the human world. Other widespread New Year rituals are the predictions of future marriages. In Maramures, for example, young unmarried women go out into the garden on New Years Eve, climb on the log used for cutting the firewood and wait until the name of a young man is called out. It is believed she will marry someone bearing this name and coming from the direction wherefrom she hears the name being called out.



    Superstitions were also important for people living in traditional communities. It was believed, for example, that evil spirits are afraid of powerful sounds and light, so people would light big fires on New Years Eve to drive these spirits away. Also, people would not lock their house doors on this evening so as to give a good welcome to the year to come.

  • December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    PRIME MINISTER – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree designating Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, for the position of Prime Minister. This is the second proposal made by the newly elected ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, after the first nominee, Sevil Shhaideh, was not endorsed. Sorin Grindeanu, 43, is the president of Timis County Council and was Minister of Communication in the Ponta cabinet. Grindeanu has ten days to form his cabinet, which will be sworn in after a vote in Parliament.



    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in 2017 is expected to go down from 4.8% to 4.6%, as announced by the National Prognosis Commission. It is expected for the south-western region of Oltenia to have the highest unemployment rate, 7.7%. The capital Bucharest and its surrounding county will have the lowest unemployment rate, 1.6%, down from 1.7% in 2016. The Commission also announced the unemployment rate is expected to drop in the following years, with figures like 4.4% in 2018, and 4.3% in 2019.



    REIMBURSEMENT – Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion Euro in 2017 for loans contracted with the EU and the World Bank as part of the stand-by agreement drawn in 2009, as announced by the Finance Ministry. This year, Romania paid 113 million Euro back to the EU and the World Bank. Bucharest has over 4.7 billion Euro to pay back to the two institutions by 2023.



    MIGRANTS – Almost 300 foreign nationals found to be illegally in Romania have been identified by the police in December. According to the General Inspectorate for Migration, 60 of them have been notified to leave the country, while 115 have applied for one form or another of international protection. Also in December, 27 people have been escorted off Romanian territory. Several companies have been fined for violating employment legislation applying to foreign workers.



    US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS – The United States has decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats in response to cyber attacks intended to interfere in presidential elections, as well as harassment of American diplomats in Moscow. Access was blocked for Russian diplomats at two of their locations in New York and Maryland. At the same time, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia will have a response, bearing in mind that the decision was made by President Obama and not by Donald Trump, who takes office in three weeks. Trump said that the claims that Russia interfered in the US elections were ridiculous.



    TURKEY – The Constitutional Committee with the Turkish
    Parliament on Friday passed a bill to change the fundamental law of the
    country, granting enhanced powers to the president, Reuters, quotes the Anadolu
    Turkish news agency as saying. The legislature has to pass the bill, which then
    goes to a referendum to be held no later than spring next year.


    TIGHTENED SECURITY– The European countries ramp up security for New Year, after the Berlin terror attack, which left 12 people dead and scores of injured. In Brussels, additional riot police forces will be deployed, but the New Year fireworks show will not be cancelled, in spite of a terror alert. In Madrid, a driving ban has been imposed for heavy trucks and coaches. In Italy, the authorities have taken special measures, particularly in the crowded areas which attract a large number of tourists, against the backdrop of warnings that several foreign fighters have arrived or will soon arrive in the Peninsula to carry out attacks. In Berlin, the police closed the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy additional armed officers, with armoured vehicles likely to flank concrete barriers blocking off the area. In Paris, heavily armed soldiers will patrol the city centre and popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, as well as Champs Elysee, where hundreds of thousands are expected to the traditional midnight fireworks show. (Translated by D. Vijeu)