The most important custom associated with the Christmas Celebrations in Romania is known as the “Ignatius”. This custom is carried out by the residents of Romania five days before the festival of Christmas, that is on the 20th of December. Straws are put into the pig’s snout and the pig is covered with quiet a large number of burning straws. The pig is then washed and covered with a piece of cloth for about ten minutes .The pig is then incensed by the housewife and then the man of the house makes a cross sign on the pig’s head and pronounces the words, which are: ‘Let’s est the pig’. The pig is then cut and a feast is arranged that is known as the pig’s funeral feast.
The decoration of the Christmas tree with walnuts, candies, chocolates, chestnuts, hazelnuts and apples takes place on the eve of Christmas at 10.00 pm.
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Christmas celebrations in Romania starts much ahead of its time and the shopping malls as well as the stores displays various kinds of gift items meant for the adornment of the homes. The roads as well as the buildings are decked up with lights to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ who came to this world to spread the message of God.
