This dance started from the wedding parties, also called “vedre”, when the bride was inviting the girls and the boys from village to say goodbye. A small, embroidered pillow was being manufacture and put in the middle of the dance site, so this is how Periniţa appeared. That night, the bride was dancing and kissing with all boys, that representing her last kisses as girl.

The groom was participating too, at that event, allowing boys to kiss his future wife because on Sunday he was the only one who was to kiss his wife. For the bride, Periniţa was her last dance as a girl, because she was becoming a married woman and she will not be allowed to play this kissing dance.

I remember with pleasure the round dances unleashed by Periniţa’s rhythms, played at “Cultural Home” in my grandparents’ village. I was hardly waiting for Easter and Christmas to come because that is the time that offers you the most beautiful countryside parties. People were cheerful and were pleasantly dancing when they were hearing the songs played by the best musicians in the area.

When the first agreement of Periniţa could be heard, boys and girls were coming out for dance, and the elders sat on the edge and were looking, dreaming on the times they were young. Immediately a boy was starting to wave a beautifully embroidered handkerchief in his right hand. He was going right in the middle of the dancers and after a canvass of the jumping girls, he was heading to the one whom he has fallen in love. Then the boy ran down his handkerchief, the two sat on their knees and kissed with passion. After that, the girl had to choose to perform the ritual kiss and everything will get to the start. Oh, what I “hated” the one who drew the time playing alone in the middle until he chose the most beautiful girl. I was afraid that musicians will finish to play Periniţa and no lad will have enough time to choose me.

The lyrics that had a tumultuous cry of love in mind and heart were:

Green leaf sheets as vital

Play my brother periniţa

Play my darling so

This is your periniţa

Do not stop

Keep the periniţa

Take a girl as long as she is young

Do not forget the bow,

Do not stop

Keep periniţa

Play my darling with your feet

Because today it is holiday.

This game of love and kissing still preserves in the Romanian tradition and it is still played at weddings and festivals throughout the year.

Annually, it is organized “Night of the museums” , when museums from Bucharest open their gates without taxes ( or at least, they have symbolic ones) and the view becomes accessible for any citizen. The project was started by Donnedieu de Vabres, the minister of Culture and Comunication in France in 2005, with the goal to promote french museums. The model was followed by many european countries, including Romania, which organises this event every year, in may.

Since then, 12 museums from Bucharest have been organizing activities especially for this event every year . Between them, we can name Antipa, The museum of Geology, George Enescu, The National Military Museum. Every museum had the freedom to organize this its own way, and that’s why every museum offers a different type of “museum entertainment”.

Antipa presented a photo gallery, National Geographic documentaries and albums and organized a bat and insect hunting.

The Geologic Museum organized the Indian Night, with the help of photos, music and culinary art.

The National Military Museum presented the program named Lotus Flower which included modern dancing shows, jongleurs and magic, classical music concerts and theatre plays.

Although the event is successful and reaches its goal to attract as many people as possible every year, there are some weaknesses which attenuate the charm of this white night. For example, one year Antipa had a huge crowd and chaos was installed. The lack of light ( even artificial ) made trubles for the National Military Museum which kept unlit its museum pieces. In spite of being included in the circuit, th Geology Museum was closed after midnight one year.

The organizational weaknesses don’t cancel the magic of this night, which repeats every year and brings thousands of people thirsty of culture. “Night of the museums “ remains an European event which brings Romania on the country list which promotes culture and good taste.

Source: www.mediafax.ro

www.plimbare.ro

www.cata-link-mediablog.blogspot.com

www.wordpress.com

www.realitatea.net

Ignat appears as a sun god who took the name and date of celebration of St. Ignatius the Teofor (December 20th) in the Orthodox calendar, synonymous with Pigs’ Ignat. Bloody sacrifice of pigs and funerary incineration (shriveling of the pig) on Ignat’s celebration (Ignis = fire) is a prehistoric practice that survives in the Carpathians Romanian lands. His feminine correspondent, Inatoarea is also associated with fire and funeral pyre.

Ignatius’ Legend

Ignat, who had a weak arm, before sacrificing the pig, dropped the ax in his father’s head. His father dies, and Ignat, filled with despair flees into to seek redemption. He manages to reconcile with his own conscience and with God, being promoted to Saint.

Pig’s Slaughtering

On the country side, pig’s slaughtering is a source of joy and leisure. Objectively speaking, it is not about the bloody orgies, but a reunion opportunity for small communities in the villages, the celebration of wealth, helping the poor through charity and good wishes. The fresh meat is being fried, rind can be eaten, the wine or brandy bottles are uncorked from which neighbors are served and those who helped splitting, a fresh pork meal is prepared.

On December 20th you can hear the “cries of death.” Fire is set to straws and pig’s skin and hair begin to nuts. Fire grows in height, melting snow from the dry branches of trees around. The rind must be as fresh and soft as possible, so it is heated with the help of a gas tank. After it has been burned, the pig is climbed on a table, preparing it for cutting. The scratch and rinse is being made with boiling water. A finger is soaked in the blood and you paint the forehead, the beard and the two cheeks, suggesting the cross’ sign.

On the stove, a pot with fresh meat chirps. Besides, a polenta is spinning and will be cut with thread, and a steaming pot of brandy completes the picture. On the villagers’ gates you can hear lyrics of carols: “Three emperors of the East / To the mighty star they traveled …”

Traditions and superstitions of Ignat

When you cut a pig, it’s good to anoint with blood your cheeks, to be away from paid and to be red in the cheeks and healthy in the upcoming year.

Who does not hear pigs’ screams on Ignat’s Day, it is good to sting their finger with a needle, just to see some blood.

When you cut a pig, it’s better to give the charity a bowl full of flour and a handful of salt, as a habit for the health of the remaining living pigs.

With the greasy part of the pork,  a dead man is pomaded, in case he could be a ghost.

The pork from black pigs, it is known that it heals some diseases, some kind of pains that moves through all the body.

Witches cook pork cut on Ignat for love and other spells.

It is being said that in the night before this holiday, pigs dream the knives with which they will be sacrificed. St. Ignatius show to pigs and tell them they should die because he takes the souls of pigs.

EU rules on animal slaughter

In 2007 new rules imposed restrictions on the pigs’ growth and slaughtering.

Pigs must be killed by shooting or electrocuting them. The changes concerns and sets a standard of cleanliness and safety in the quality of the meat, the pig cannot be stabbed in the yard but in a slaughterhouse or in specially arranged location, under the supervision of a veterinary specialist.

The meat should be tested prior to the date for sale and furthermore, meat from pigs reared in non-professional systems may be used only for family consumption.

This is actually a soup that contains delicious pieces of white cheese covered in dough. Here’s what you need to do to prepare my grandmother’s “pătăşti”. First of all, you need the following:

-         flour

-         water

-         2 eggs

-         white cheese

-         1 onion

-         2 smaller carrots, or 1 carrot that is bigger

-         cooking oil

-         ½ spoon of sweet pepper spice or paprika

-         salt and pepper

-         chopped parsley

After you’ve gathered all the ingredients, you have to prepare the dough from

flour, water and the two eggs. You spread the resulting dough until you get a thin, round sheet, just like the one used to make noodles. On one half you scatter a lot of cheese that you already grated or cut into very small pieces. The other half of dough you put over the one of cheese, and you pat it with your palm in order to properly stick.

After which cut the newly formed half, that contains two layers of dough with a layer of cheese in between, into small square pieces (my grandmother had a special metal wheel with which she used to cut the squares with, but you can also use the knife or whatever cookie dough shapes you have, if you want to get more creative). Make sure that the little squares are separatted from each other and put them up for dry until you prepare the soup.

Now you have to peal, wash and chop the onion, after which you simmer it in cooking oil in the pot that you are going to use for the soup. You do the same with the carrots, and then you add the spoon of paprika. You stir it well, and then you add water enough to fill half the pot after you make sure the onion and carrots are properly simmered. Then you put in the salt and pepper, and when the water is boiling you add the “pătăşti” squares in the pot. When the little squares are rising in the water (this being a sign they’re on the right track), you put in the chopped parsley and a cup of cold water. You stir a little bit more and you’e done!

Enjoy your meal and I hope you like the “pătăşti” just as much as I do!

C’est aussi le cas du mythe du Zburatorul ou du Sburatorul, considérée comme une être maléfique dans toutes ses représentations, quelque soit la région de provenance, dont les origines se retrouvent à la célébration du feu et à sa symbolique.

Les croyances populaires le décrivent comme un esprit malin qui adore errer, du minuit jusqu’à l’aube, en se faufilant aux maisons où il y a des vierges, des femmes enceintes ou des veuves, sous la forme d’une flamme ou d’un serpent pour les tourmenter.

Dans certaines régions il y a la superstition que cet esprit est renvoyé par quelqu’un pour tourmenter et torturer la femme enceinte jusqu’à ce qu’elle va perdre son bébé. Le seul remède pour éloigner la possession de cet être surnaturelle c’est le déliement par quelques incantations, prononcées Mardi ou Vendredi, en utilisant de l’eau pure provenue directement d’une source et un mélange fait de neuf plantes.

D’autres mythes le présent comme un jeune rejeté par la femme dont il est tombé amoureux et qui s’est métamorphosé, dans la vie d’au-délà, dans un démon qui torture toute femme sans protection, par la possession.

Les images nous le montre sous la forme d’un fantôme, ou d’un monstre  couvert d’écailles et assez souvent comme un diable ailé qui glisse par la cheminée et tourmente la femme jusqu’à l’aube, en laissant des traces sur son corps : une pâleur cadavérique sur son visage, des cernes autour de ses yeux et une mélancolie profonde. Si la femme ose se cacher ou s’enfuir, alors le démon va se venger sur sa famille.

Les anthropologues  le voient comme un demi-dieu, personnifiant l’érotisme et le chemin initiatique que la fille doit parcourir pour toucher l’âge mûr, le plus souvent dans le rêve. Zburatoroaica c’est son double féminin qui a le rôle d’initier les jeunes hommes de manière onirique.

Source d’inspiration : www.didactic.ro

Too cook a tasy potato moussaka, you need the following ingredients:

-         2 kg potatoes

-         300 g mince

-         2 medium sized onions

-         Cooking oil

-         Salt and pepper

-         A little tomato juice

-         Optional, one egg and a bit of chopped parsley

To start with, you make the dressing as follows: you peal the two onions, wash

them, chop them and simmer them in a pan with three spoons of cooking oil and a little water. After it’s simmered, you add the mince, salt, pepper, and tomato juice, while stirring everything until the meat starts to get that brownish color hinting that it’s done. Depending on your preferences, you may add a little chopped parsley to the composition, for taste and color.

The potatoes are pealed, washed and cut in slices. Then, on the bottom of the pan that you are going to use you out some cooking oil and the first layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of  mince mixture and you alternate between the potatoes and the composition. The top layer should be made of potatoes, over which you can add a scrambled egg.

The pan with a lid on or some aluminium foil on top is inserted in the over for about 45 minutes, but in order to be absolutely sure that it’s properly made, you should try the potatoes with a fork.

After which you take out the pan, serve the hot moussaka eat to your heart’s desire!

Octavian Bellu is the man from the shadow who contributed to the feminine national gym team for almost 25 years. He is the coach who rose the girls who made the Romanian hymn heard all over the world, the mentor who took care of every member of his team to reach his potential. For all he did, he deserves to be appreciated and rewarded.

This thing happened when he got into Guinness book  for being “The most successful coach from all over the world” , having 16 Olympic golden medals and a total of 279 medals from Olympics, Worldwide and European Contests. In 2009, he was included in Gymnastics Hall of Fame, which took place in Oklahoma City, where other successful Romanian gymnasts participated (Nadia Comăneci, Ectaerina Szabo). It was the moment of glory when Octavian Bellu was seen as a golden coach.

He was born on 17 February 1951, in Aquarius’ sign, the sign of artists and he made an art out of gymnastics. He had a straight trajectory and he never turned off his way and he taught his gymnasts the same model.  And the way wasn’t always easy to follow. After graduating, he worked 5 years in Education, doing serious efforts to complete his shift. That’s why besides gymnastics, he also taught geography, history and other disciplines unrelated to sports. His luck appeared when he gave up on education to work at the Petrolul Club. The coach confesses that it was a difficult moment in his life, when he had to consider the risk of losing his years of service and his rank to follow an insecure dream to reach victory in gymnastics. His decision proved to be right and many years after that, Octavian Bellu can say that not only he is satisfied by his career, but also by his life. He declared that everything he has and everything he doesn’t have is due to gymnastics.

Romania had him as the coach of the national team till 2005. He was always faithful to his country, in spite of the profitable offers from abroad. He didin’t follow the example of Bela Karoly, his predecessor and many times his comparison term in press, and remained Romania’s coach. He explained that his goal is not to sit on his porch and count his money, risking an imposed schedule, and he prefers to be the coach of the worldwide champion or the Olympic champion than to get rich without constant performance.

Octavian Bellu was state counselor in Presidential Administration.  Since 2006, he had occupied the post of President at the Sports National Agency and since 2008 he was named State Secretary in Youth and Sports Ministry. Recently, he has quit his job and there are rumors which say his decision is due to the fact that he was a victim of political games and he had nothing to say there. If these are true, he proves once again that his main aim is to maintain Romanian sports on the top of the worldwide classification in an admirable, noble and honest way.

Octavian Bellu remains a champion, representing the ones who fight for change, justice, performance…the ones who fight for Romania.

Source: Ziare.com, Realitatea românească, Wikipedia

« On dit très souvent que l’article de journal ne vie pas qu’un seul jour, la survenue jour. Je pense que c’est une erreur. Il y a des articles sur des petits faits qui perdent rapidement tout intérêt. Le vrai publiciste traite les grands thèmes de la vie avec compétence et courage, ayant le talent de les rendre des écrits d’époque ». Ceux-ci représentent les pensées de T.T.Braniste en s’apprêtant de mettre fin à sa prodigieuse activité de plus de cinquante ans dans la presse, conscient du fait qu’il laisse derrière lui une œuvre digne de la grande bibliothèque.

Enfin, nous allons essayer de prendre un aperçu rapide sur l’œuvre journalistique de Braniste, comme une invitation au monde plein de turbulences des personnages, des événements et des idées, monde encore loin d’avoir perdu tout intérêt. En fait Braniste ne faisait que lier ses opinions exprimées à travers le temps, dans sa recherche de rapprocher les deux types, considérés, parfois différents : la presse et la littérature. Quant à lui les caractéristiques communes de ces deux catégories de chevalier de la plume : « Les hommes des lettres et les journalistes ont le même objectif : l’éveil d’étincelles rares aux cœurs des autres. La même matière pétrisse : le verbe, le verbe divin dont Caragiale en parlait passionnément ».

Depuis sa jeunesse, il a été passionné par le journalisme qui lui offrait la tribune d’où il pouvait partager ses préoccupations quotidiennes en fonction de ses croyances.

Avec admiration et gratitude face à la contribution de la Roumanie à l’élévation du préstige de l’écriture de la presse, Braniste fait rappel: « Oh ! Quel aurait été l’importance de la culture roumaine si Caragiale n’avait pas publié « Momente » dans un journal ; si Vlahuta n’avait pas publié ses articles de popularisation dans un journal ; si Delavrancea, Eminecu, Panu et autres n’avaient pas été des journalistes.

Tout au long de son activité journalistique, Braniste a été animé d’une seule croyance, sans complaisance, en disant fièrement : « J’ai toujours écrit ce que je pensais. Bien ou mauvais, j’ai toujours mis en page ce que je croyais, autrement j’ai pris mon chapeau et sans offense, je suis parti ».

Il a écrit des pamphlets attaquant et se moquant  des mœurs ou d’états des choses injustes, parfois avec ironie ou incision, et le cas échéant, trouver les mots sans relâche, mais s’arrêter toujours avant le détail vulgaire.

Il a préféré une tonalite forte et claire dans les commentaires d’articles, où il a apprécie la sérosité et parfois la gravité du problème en  discussion. Il n’a pas caché son lyrisme lorsqu’il a écrit  ses impressions et souvenirs des gens, des événements et des livres chers à son cœur.

Le titre sous lequel les articles ont étés unis, nous était offris  avec amour par l’un des plus grands journalistes de l’époque. Le titre suggère une réalité dont toute exégèse de l’écrivain devrait tenir compte. Le journaliste a été double a travers ses activités par la personnalité d’un écrivain avec du talent, prêt à nous défendre, profitable pour l’œuvre entre les deux genres abordés.

Ainsi, le pamphlet incisif, l’invention d’anecdotes, l’atmosphère amicale et certains tons pathétiques, le journaliste est doublé du talent d’écrivain.

“It is often said that newspaper’s article does not live only one day, the occurrence day. I think it is a mistake. Are also articles about small facts, which quickly lose the interest. The real publicist, however, attacks the major life themes and by debating them with competence, courage and talent makes them surviving era writings. “These are TT Braniste’s thoughts preparing to wrap up his prodigious work of over fifty years in the media, aware that he leaves behind a work worthy of the great publishing library.

Finally, we will try to take a quick overview of Braniste’s journalism as an invitation to the world full of characters’, events’ and ideas’ turmoil, which it is still far to have lost the public interest.

In fact, Braniste was simply linking over time the opinions expressed years ago, looking to approach two genre, considered sometimes different: the press and the literature. For him, the common characteristics of the two categories of knight of the pen were decisive: “The letters’ people and the journalists have the same target: the awakening of the rare sparks in others hearts. I am leavening the same material: the verb, the divine verb, which with such passion Caragiale highly was speaking.”

The passion for journalism was born when he was young, because he was getting the gallery where the writer can sit and talk directly to the reader, sharing his daily concerns in light of his own creed.

With admiration and gratitude for the forerunners contribution to the rising of the Romanian writing media prestige, Braniste recalled:

“Oh! What would had been the significance of the Romanian culture if a Caragiale had not been published his “Momente” in a newspaper; if Vlahuţă had not been published his popular articles in the columns of newspapers; if Delavrancea, Eminescu, Panu and everyone else had not been journalists?”

Throughout his journalistic activity, Braniste felt animated by one faith, not appeasement or retreated, proudly confirming: “I always wrote what I thought. Good or bad, I always nested my faith on paper. And when somewhere I could not write what I was thinking I got my hat and, without offense, I left.”

He wrote pamphlets attacking or ridiculing morals or unjust state of affairs, sometimes with irony, sometimes with incision, and when appropriate, finding the relentless phrase, but always stopping before vulgar details.

He chose the particular loud tone and clear explanation in the article’s comments, when considered the situation serious and sometimes the gravity of the problem under discussion. It has not hidden his lyricism when he wrote impressions or memories about people, happenings and books dear to his heart.

The title under which these items are bundled has been offered with love by one of the greatest journalists of the time. The title suggests a reality which should be taken into consideration by any exegesis of the illustrious scribe. The journalist was doubled throughout his business, by the personality of a talented writer, showing us today obvious loans, profitable to the work between the two addressed genres. Thus, in the pamphlet’s incisiveness, the invention of some anecdotes, friendly atmosphere and some pathetic tone, the journalist is doubled by literate’s talent.

For the ones that have a passion for roadtrips, inside the complex,there is the possibility of joining some with the duration of a day or two,aiming for Gheorgheni,Borsec,Sovata,Bicaz or Piatra Neamt.Also, don’t worry for your staing here because near the lake there is The Motel Red Lake.Beside the motel ,there is also a diningroom with the capacity of two hundread places , suitable for conferences, feasts and other similar meetings.For the brave ones , that like to venture up on the North-Eastern side of the Ucigasu Mountain there is a guesthouse there that promises a worthy view over the landscape and over the rocks of the little Suhard.

The surroundings of the lake proudly present their richness in flora and fauna.The pine forests mix with peanut trees,alpine willow trees and birch trees givind a splendid color of nature.

The Red Lake is also the most complex reservation in the contry.The climate is mild , the medium temperature reaches around 8 degrees Celsius.During summer time temperatures reach as high as 22 degrees Celsius and during winter a 60-70 cm thick blanket of ice covers the lake.The annual medium of the solar shining hours is around 1700-1900 hours.
So,my dear reader,if you plan on going on a trip,don’t forget that, here, at the Red Lake you have a lot to see!…