Mucenicii

In the Orthodox calendar, the day of March 9 is dedicated to the Holy 40 Martyrs of Sevastia. It is said that in Emperor Lichinie times in Sevastia, Armenia, lived voivoda Agricolae that has 40 soldiers, all Christians. Hearing about that, forced them to deny their faith and to worship idols. Because they refused to renounce Christianity, were terribly tortured and eventually was burned at the stake. Mucenici or măcinici (Romanian for martyrs) are named also the spirits of ancestors, celebrated on this day.

In the popular calendar, Mucenicii, Moşii de Mărţişor (approx. The Elders from March), Sfinţişorii (The Little Saints) or Sâmbra plugului (untranslatable) (the name varies from one area to another) - means the end of winter, the beginning of spring and and of the agricultural year. On this day, in the rural areas there are a number of rituals in which people still believe: all those who do not have names of saints are celebrating this day their name day; all trash and debris collected over winter are set in fire in the yard or garden, and if the smoke goes straight up into the sky, it is said that in the next 40 days will be good weather to work the land; people give a sort of eight-shaped pretzels, made from pannetone dough, baked in the oven, then smeared with honey and sprinkled with crushed nuts and sugar; people drink 40 glasses of wine (or if they don't support this... treatment, 40 tablespoons of wine); the entire household is sprayed with holy water and incensed, three times, from east to west, as to banish evil, people and animals to be good all year, and the household to prosper.

The Horezu Rooster

Romanian ceramics compiles an experience that dates back to Neolithic times. The “Cucuteni” culture of this period is recognized as having one of the most refined and stylish potteries in all of Europe.

Nowadays, the most famous Romanian pottery is made in and around the town of Horezu, from northern Wallachia (Vâlcea County), on the riverbed of the river Olt. An age-old craft, modeling clay has become a real art in the hands of old masters, the inhabitants of this breathtaking region.


On the main street, called "Olari Street" (Potters' Street), one may admire famous collections bearing the names of those who gave life to the potter's wheel: Vicşoreanu, Mischiu, Ogrezeanu, (members of the Romanian Academy of Folk Arts), and others. Everything about this antique art is a family secret and at the same time a family business, since both adult members of the family are usually involved: the man giving shape to the objects and the woman decorating them.


The Horezu enameled pottery – unique to Romania through its chromatics and floral motives – is emblematic of the region. And, its ceramics are known worldwide. These objects preserve the local tradition and display Byzantine influences that have turned the craft into a brand for the Horezu valley. Horezu pottery is shaped only on the traditional kick-wheel, with simple finishing tools. Its burning is usually made in horizontal stoves using the oxidation technique, thus resulting in red earthenware. Most of the ceramic objects are decorated in delicate, yet powerful geometric and vegetal patterns, artfully painted by the masters’ wives, using 100% natural colors and ancient age old tools such as cow horns and goose feathers.


The traditional glazed ceramic objects are: plates, mugs, pitchers, bowls and even toys and flutes. The most frequently used colors in Horezu are brown, orange-red, green and lately even blue. Light colors are preferred for the background. They clay is prepared through a traditional technique and not used immediately. The clay needs to yeast for a while – big clay balls are broken into small particles through a wetting-drying process. The motifs are varied and many of them were preserved through time, even if they suffered changes in their representation. The most popular motif for the region is the Horezu Rooster, but there are other symbolic drawings: the spiral, the star, the snake of the house, the tree of life, the wavy line (the lost way), concentric circles, and the wheat ears. The traditional painting method called "jirăvirea" is a special technique used for adornment. This is made by joining the edges of a spiral with its center, while the paint is still wet. This technique allows the making of an infinite number of models that result from the combination of the colors that appear in a spiral and through the different styles through which this traditional painting method is done.


The town of Horezu houses the largest ceramics fair in the country, “The Hurez Cock”, an event that takes place every year on the first Saturday and Sunday of June. The fair is attended by craftsmen from all the pottery centres across the country ( Horezu – Vâlcea, Oboga – Olt, Vlădesti – Vâlcea, Corund – Harghita, Baia Mare, Hunedoara, Timis, Marginea – Suceava, Lungeşti – Vâlcea, Slătioara – Vâlcea, Miercurea Nirajului, Odorheiul Secuiesc, and so on).

Old Women's Days

A legend tells that once, long time ago, lived a bad-hearted woman named Dochia. In one of the last days of winter, he sent hers daughter-in-law on mountain to collect strawberries, even if outside was still very cold and high snow. With the wonders of God, the girl could could fulfill the commandment of hers mother-in-law and and returned home unharmed by the cold of the harsh winter. Believing that spring has come, old Dochia climbed the mountain with the sheep, and took nine sheepskin, waistcoats. March began with a few warm days, and she gradually dropped a waistcoat every day. But after she lost the last waistcoat, cold days returned; naked, Dochia has frozen along with her sheep and turned into rocks. In Bucegi Mountains, there are some rough assemblies which local legend says that are a representative of the old Dochia with hers sheep.


In the popular mentality, the first nine days of March are called Zilele Babelor (Old Women's Days), the transition period from winter to spring. Everyone must choose a day (his Old Woman), and if the chosen day is warm and sunny, the year to come will be a good one, else if the day is bleak and rainy the year will be full of trouble and disagreeable. In this period, the weather is unstable as the old women nature.