Ethnological Considerations on the Romanian Carol

Abstract

For the Romanian community, traditional and modern, Christmas, celebrated today on the 25th of December, concentrates one of the richest and complex rituals with all ages, sex and social status participants; in a 24 hour interval between 24 and 25 of December, children and adults sing Christmas carols and go from house to house with Steaua, Luceafarul, Vicleimul , Irozii, and all the community is involved. The term Christmas=Craciun incorporates a constellation of actions and persons. It is the holiday of Birth, but there are also carols where Christmas is the name used for Jesus. In the Romanian carols are 3 influences: Dacian, Latin and Christian.