Orthodox Christians celebrate St. Andrew (Andrei) in Romania today

ROMANIA INSIDER
29/11/2011

Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew (in Romanian Sf. Andrei) today (November 30), which is a religious holiday in the country and also name day for over 300,000 men and 300,000 women out of 22 million Romanians. Men called Andrei and women called Andreea celebrate their name day on this occasion.

This Orthodox holiday commemorates Andrew, one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles, the one Jesus called first in their Apostolic endeavor. He was also the first of the Apostles to reach the Dobrogea region of today’s Romania and spread the new religion to this area, creating the first Christian communities here. For this he is seen as Romania’s spiritual patron.

This religious holiday has some pre – Christian roots, like most holidays in Romania. The skies are believed to open on midnight on this holiday and the St. Andrew night is considered among the best for spells.

Some Romanians plant wheat berries on St. Andrew’s day and keep them growing until New Year’s Eve. If the plants will grow tall and thick, the person who planted it or the family will have a rich year, the traditional belief goes.

On a more practical side, the country’s Senate has recently approved the proposal to include this holiday among official, non-working holidays in the country. The Chamber of Deputies will have a final say in this.

Romania now has 11 official holidays, except Sundays: January 1 and 2, December 25 and 26- Christmas, May 1 – Labor Day, August 15 – St. Mary, the 1st and the 2nd day of Easter, December 1- the National Day and the 1st and 2nd day of Rusalii – 50 days after Easter. Employers in Romania are required by law to give days off for their employees on these days.

editor@romania-insider.com

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