A dominant orthodoxy
The Orthodox are in the majority, accounting for 86.45% of the population according to the latest census in 2011. The Romanian Orthodox Church is the second largest in the Orthodox world, after the Russian Church. Recognized as autocephalous (independent) since 1885, it was elevated to the rank of patriarchate in 1925. Romanians are the only Latin people of Orthodox faith and, according to legend, one of the oldest Christian peoples, evangelized in the 1st century by the apostle Andrew. The 1991 Constitution guarantees religious freedom and does not proclaim any state religion. In practice, however, the Orthodox Church and the State are intimately linked: for example, politicians often take part in religious ceremonies, and the Patriarch blesses the President at his inauguration. Many classrooms display a crucifix or an icon, although since 2015, enrolment in religious classes, often akin to Orthodox catechism, is no longer automatic. The Orthodox Church enjoys considerable prestige in society: according to opinion polls, it is the institution in which Romanians have the most confidence, after the army. It is also keen to make its voice heard in social debates, as it did on the occasion of the referendum on same-sex marriage (which ended in failure, with only 20% of voters turning out at the polls). Another sign of his ambition: at the end of 2018, the gigantic Cathedral of the Salvation of the Romanian Nation, the largest in the Orthodox world, was inaugurated (although still under construction) behind the Palace of Parliament. Financed largely by the public purse, this staggering, as-yet-unfinished project is causing many to cringe.
A mosaic of faiths
Reflecting its ethnic diversity, Romania is home to a wide variety of religions: eighteen denominations are recognized and financially supported by the state. According to the 2011 census, Catholics (Romanian or Hungarian) account for 4.6% of the population. The majority are found in Transylvania and Moldavia. Protestants make up almost 7% of the total population. They mainly come from the Hungarian minority, divided between Calvinists and Unitarians, and the small Saxon minority (Lutherans, 0.1%). However, neo-Protestant, evangelical, Pentecostal, Baptist and other Seventh-Day Adventist cults have grown significantly since 1989. Representing almost 2% of the population, Pentecostals are the country's fourth-largest religious community. There are also Greek Catholics (0.8%), Muslims (0.3%) and Jews (0.1%). Greek Catholics are numerous in the north and west. This Church, born after the integration of Transylvania into the (Catholic) Habsburg monarchy at the end of the 17th century, is united with Rome, but continues to follow the Eastern rite. Also known as the Uniate Church, it was the country's second-largest denomination, but was declared illegal in 1948 and subjected to fierce repression. Even today, it is struggling to recover the property confiscated from it under Communism. Muslims, mostly from the Turkish and Tatar minorities, are concentrated in Dobrogea and Bucharest. They practice Sunni Islam. The Jewish population, which numbered 750,000 in 1930, is expected to fall to around 4,000 by 2023, mainly in Bucharest.
The post-Ceaușescu revival
Under the Communist regime, all religion was theoretically forbidden. In fact, even apparatchiks went to church for baptisms, weddings and funerals. The Orthodox Church itself played a troubled role, still taboo, during the dictatorship, accused of complacency or even complicity with the regime. This didn't stop Ceaușescu from razing some twenty churches in Bucharest in the 1980s. Several others were even relocated, camouflaged in cul-de-sacs or smothered between two buildings. After the Revolution, religious fervor revived. Many buildings were renovated, and new constructions flourished: of the country's 27,000 or so places of worship, a third date from after 1989.
Religion in everyday life
Religion is an integral part of Romanian life. Baptism and marriage are almost unavoidable milestones: not being baptized is extremely rare, as are civil marriages. Numerous religious festivals mark the year, and the many periods of fasting(post) are still widely observed, especially among the elderly. The most important are before Easter, Christmas and St. Mary's Day. All animal products (meat, milk, eggs, etc.) are then banned. It's also not uncommon to see people signing their names as they pass a church. However, not so many of the faithful attend mass regularly. While faith is alive and well in some circles, Romanian religiosity seems above all linked to identity and attachment to tradition.
A year punctuated by celebrations
A large number of celebrations punctuate the Romanian year. Mostly religious, they are often associated with the cycles of nature, the rural calendar and ancient rites, whose pagan character is still vividly expressed.
Christmas and New Year. While Easter is the most important celebration in the Orthodox calendar, the end-of-year festivities are also the subject of rich traditions, combining religious and ancestral rituals. The result is a magical atmosphere. From Christmas(Crăciun) to the New Year(Anul nou), children go from house to house singing traditional carols called colinde. They can be performed in costume, accompanied by instruments or choreography. Colindători are rewarded with money, nuts or colaci (traditional buns). The colindat tradition was declared an intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco in 2013. In the countryside, ancient rituals still exist to usher in the New Year. Sometimes confused with colindat, they aim to chase away evil spirits or invoke good harvests. Children make the rounds of the houses armed with a minicharrue(plugușorul) or sorcova, a wand decorated with artificial flowers, lavishing wishes of health and prosperity on the inhabitants. In some areas, notably Maramureș and Bucovina, masked and costumed processions still roam the villages, singing and dancing. Their ranks include men dressed as goats (symbol of fertility), bears (symbol of rebirth) or horses (symbol of the sun). In Bucovina, there are also other village figures such as the elders, the drunkard or the bourgeois, who are gently mocked on this occasion. In Comănești, Moldavia, the locals even don real bearskins. As elsewhere in Europe, Santa Claus(Moș Crăciun) also brings presents to Romanian children on the evening of December 24. This wasn't always the case: under Communism, the word Crăciun, deemed too religious, was banished from the vocabulary and Santa Claus renamed Moș Gerilă (Father Gel). The meal consists of pork-based dishes: sarmale, piftie, etc. In the countryside, tradition dictates that a pig is slaughtered for Christmas. We also eat cozonac, a kind of filled brioche. The most devout go to midnight mass. The New Year is celebrated throughout the country on the night of December 31st to January1st. There's a lot of drinking, people gather in the big city squares despite the cold, and everyone shoots off small fireworks from their backyard or the roof of their building. The skies over Bucharest are ablaze with thousands of colorful sparks.
Celebrating saints. Several important saints(sfânți) are celebrated throughout the year. On these days, people with the first name of one of these saints are also congratulated and presented with gifts. On April 23, St. George's Day(sfânt Gheorghe) marks the start of the pastoral summer. This is the day when shepherds take their flocks into the mountains. To chase away evil spirits and prevent them from stealing milk or making animals sick, boughs are hung on the doors and windows of houses and stables. Constantine and Elena, the holy emperors of Constantinople, are celebrated on May 21. On this day, the land should not be worked: it is said that those who go to the fields will experience an invasion of harmful birds. The feast that coincides with the birth of Saint John the Baptist, on June 24, is called Sanziene or Drăgaica. Linked to the summer solstice, it has pagan overtones and ancient roots. It celebrates the explosion of nature and fertility. On the night of the 23rd and 24th, huge bonfires are lit to chase away evil spirits. It is said that the sky opens up and makes contact with the earthly world. The Sanziene, considered the good fairies of the fields, sing and dance. This is the best time to pick medicinal plants, whose powers are increased tenfold by the Sanziene. St. Elijah's Day(Ilie), July 20, marks the middle of the pastoral summer. Traditional fairs are held around this date. In the past, this was an opportunity to do business and meet new people, or even to find a soulmate and conclude a marriage. On October 26, Saint Dimitri(Dumitru), patron saint of shepherds, brings in winter. The sheep must have returned from the mountains by this date. On the night of October 25 to 26, bonfires are lit in certain localities, such as Mățău, home to the highest hill in the country. Again, this is an ancient ritual. November 30 is the feast of André(Andrei), patron saint of Romania. The night of November 29 to 30 is reputed to be magical. Young girls can see their future husbands in their dreams. But ghosts are also on the prowl: to protect themselves, people hang garlic in their windows.
Mărțișor and Dragobete. These are two traditions that have no religious connotations. The Mărțișor festival, on March1, marks the arrival of spring. It's very popular: on this day, everyone gives themselves lucky charms of sorts, adorned with two braided threads: one red, the other white, symbolizing winter and spring. Numerous trinket stalls flourish on the sidewalks at this time of year. Celebrated on February 24, Dragobete is the local equivalent of Valentine's Day, the patron saint of love. In the past, young girls and boys would spend this day together, a moment conducive to the formation of couples. Although it has fallen into disuse, the festival has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years.
