Word Count: 981 As I promised in my post The Land of Perfect Christmas, I would report back to you about the festivities here on Orthodox Christmas, January 7. I was actually surprised by just how low-key the entire thing was, even though about 99% of Moldovans celebrate Orthodox Christmas in one way or another. Mostly it just seemed like a day off from work … Continue reading Moldovan Christmas, Part 2
I don’t remember very much about the year 1989, except for the end of it, when I found myself drunk and a little more than depressed on a cold December evening. It was Christmas Day, and I was in Israel. Officially, it isn’t a holiday, as most of the Arab Palestinians and all of the Jews don’t celebrate it. A tiny minority of Palestinians, however, … Continue reading The Land of Perfect Christmas
I know it may seem strange to some but my all-time favorite television channel is the Weather Channel (in America). Sadly, there is no equivalent here in Europe so for my Christmas present to all of you, I decided to make one with all of the weather forecasts for today, December 25, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM4V8pfMVHE In order: Russia Estonia Serbia Poland Ukraine Moldova Bulgaria Romania Greece … Continue reading Merry Christmas!
Not that long ago, when some of our grandmothers and grandfathers were tiny children, most of Europe was controlled by one large royal family. One of those royals was born in Britain, speaking English, named Marie. She ended up marrying the German ruler of Romania at the time and, after his death, became queen in her own right – Queen Marie of Romania. For those … Continue reading A Romanian Christmas Tale
Certainly not a “slang” word but just one of those mysterious Romanian words with a shadowy and uncertain past, ajun simply means the day (or night) before an important event. In this case, Ajunul (“the day/night before”) Craciunului (“of the Christmas”) simply means the night/day before Christmas, or as it is said in English, Christmas Eve. If you speak Romanian, I found this religious tale … Continue reading Word of the Day: Ajunul Craciunului
All Things Romania 