Romania is a country with a rich history and culture that is evident in its numerous traditions and folklore. The country is renowned for its traditional rural way of life, which remains prevalent in many regions. This way of life is centred around traditional practices such as farming, animal husbandry, and handicrafts passed down through generations. In recent times, particularly with the onset of the pandemic, there has been an increasing trend of people seeking respite from the frantic pace of urban life. Many seek a quieter, more serene environment to relax and recharge. Romania’s rural way of life is often associated with simplicity, authenticity, and a strong connection to nature. For some, this lifestyle offers an opportunity to experience traditional culture in its most authentic form.
Having spent my childhood in Curtea de Argeș, a town located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains and renowned for its historical and cultural significance, I developed a deep fascination for the rural way of life and the diverse traditions that are an integral part of Romanian culture. During my school summer holidays, I often spent extended periods with my relatives in the countryside, exploring the Argeș and Vâlcea counties and gaining first-hand experience with these regions’ prevalent customs and practices. The rich folklore and legends of Romania date back centuries and are a product of various influences, including ancient pagan beliefs, Christianity, and cultural interactions with neighbouring countries and invading empires. Through my exposure to the traditions and way of life in rural Romania, I gained a profound appreciation for the unique cultural heritage of my home country.
The winter holidays in Romania are steeped in traditions and customs rooted in the country’s strong agricultural heritage. Romanian peasants have long held a deep understanding of the natural world and how to nurture the earth, which is reflected in the diverse range of ceremonies and practices that take place during this period. Notably, during the winter solstice, when the sun is weak, and frost and dryness are frequent, peasants devised ceremonies aimed at helping the sun and nature to overcome the “temporary crisis” caused by the weakening of the sun. These rituals were a testament to the deep respect and reverence that peasants held for the natural world and the vital role it played in their lives.
In rural Romania, livestock farming was widespread, with chicken, cows, and pigs being popular household choices. My grandfather, who hails from a thriving rural village, was no exception, having raised various animals at different points in his life. In addition to his livestock, he tended to a verdant garden and an expansive apple and plum orchard. Even at the age of 84, he remains committed to his land and livestock, caring for a few chickens and a brood of eleven piglets. His dedication exemplifies the quintessential, hard-working Romanian grandfather who strives to provide for his family by traditional means. The pig sacrifice was a significant part of the family’s festivities during the winter holidays. This long-standing tradition involves slaughtering a pig to feed the entire family throughout the winter. The pig sacrifice was distressing to see and hear, but its significance to many rural Romanian families remains essential to life, tradition and culture.
After almost two decades of living outside of Romania, I slowly drifted away from the traditions and customs of my upbringing. However, returning to Romania after all this time was a pleasure, as I once again became captivated by the bizarre yet interesting traditions I remembered from my childhood. Participating in the pig slaughtering tradition just before Christmas gave me a unique opportunity to document and analyse the event from an outsider’s perspective. With a camera in one hand and a small glass of boiled țuică in the other, I was eager to document and assist in any way possible. Sometimes struggling between drinking țuică and munching on șorici, pork rind.
The origin of this tradition dates back to the ancient Dacian legends. These legends suggest that on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the Dacians would sacrifice an animal to represent the deity of darkness, which was believed to weaken the Sun’s power. As a means of aiding the sun in regaining its strength, people began to sacrifice pigs.
There is also a theory by the Romanian Folklorist Petru Caraman that the custom of slaughtering the pig on the day of Ignatius finds its roots in the traditions of Roman antiquity. Romans would practice this sacrifice during Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival and holiday commemorating the deity Saturn (God of the Capitol, time, wealth, agriculture, and liberation) on December 17 of the Julian calendar and eventually extended to December 23/25/30. The pig itself was considered the embodiment of this divinity, whose death and resurrection are consumed at the end of the old year and around the beginning of the new year. It was the most widely celebrated festival on the ancient Roman calendar, and it evolved from previous farming-related ceremonies of midwinter and the winter solstice.
After several failed attempts, the Roman Empire conquered the Dacian Kingdom in 106 AD under Emperor Trajan’s leadership. This led to the establishment of a new province, “Dacia Traiana,” and the annexation of Dacia into the Roman Empire. The period that followed marked the fusion of Dacian and Roman cultures, and this intermingling may have contributed to the evolution of customs and traditions. This theory is among several historical theories concerning the Dacians’ fate, highlighting the potential for a unique blend of Dacian and Roman influences in the region’s culture.
The custom of slaughtering a pig around the Nativity of the Lord is widely practised in most areas of Romania. A faithful peasant householder raises at least one pig in his homestead, feeding and fattening it for a year to ensure the bacon is thick and abundant in the winter. Typically, the pig is sacrificed on December 20, coinciding with the celebration of Saint Ignatius of Antioch in the Orthodox calendar. Originally called Ignatius Theophorous, the name Ignatius means “God-bearer.”
In approximately 110 AD, Ignatius was martyred in Rome. During the emperor Trajan’s visit to Antioch, Saint Ignatius was presented before him. Despite being subjected to various tortures, he remained true to his faith in Christ. As a result, the emperor ordered his transfer to Rome, where he was to be executed by wild beasts in the arena. During his journey, Ignatius provided spiritual support to the Churches in the cities he passed through. He openly expressed his desire to be consumed by the beasts, as it would allow him to become “clean bread for God.”
The Romanian word Ignat originates from the Latin “ignatus” or the Sanskrit “agni,” meaning to ignite or light, signifying the fire that purifies the slaughtered animal on this day. This tradition is part of the Romanian popular calendar, symbolising the rebirth of nature and the sun. The calendar comprises fire festivities beginning with the autumn equinox, culminating during the winter solstice, and ending with the spring equinox.
“Winter is all the time when there is snow. It starts on Saint Nicholas’s Day (6 December) and lasts until the Alexii (17 March) (…). The middle of winter or the hard of winter is the time when the frost is harshest. In winter the Sun fights the night, that is why the day is smaller and weaker, for otherwise it would warm up winter as it does summer. In winter the nights are bigger and the earth frizzes and the sun rises late and cannot melt it. However, as soon as spring sets in and the day grows bigger, the Sun stays longer in the sky, for it rises early in the morning and thus the earth can warm up over the day and stay warm at night and then it can breed (…). When the storks, the swallows and the other migrating birds fly away it is a sign that cold winter is closing in.“
Romanian Popular Calendar Traditions
Orthodox priests point out there is no connection between Saint Ignatius and the pig slaughtering tradition. It could be a Romanian tradition that overlaps a religious holiday, and the Christians assimilated this custom. Besides, the life of Saint Ignatius has no association with the ritualistic sacrifice of pigs.
In Romania, the winter season and survival are deeply intertwined with various traditions that differ from region to region and village to village. Certain rituals are carried out before the sacrifice, and a lot of preparation goes on, with involvement from the whole family. The sacrifice has to start after sunrise, and it has to be over by dawn. It is said that during their last night, the pigs about to be slaughtered dream of their death. According to tradition, only men are allowed to perform the act of slaughtering. This practice is considered to be archaic, likely rooted in the cultural belief that women were the givers of life, thus not expected to participate in taking it away. The man tasked with slaughtering the pig must be clean and ethical to prevent any undue suffering of the animal.
The pig is slaughtered on rich soil, allowing its blood to seep into the earth, where new seedlings will be planted in the spring. It is a tribute to the land and mother nature, as this practice is believed to ensure an abundant harvest in the upcoming year.
After the pig’s slaughter, the whole pig is singed, removing the hair and tightening the skin. A popular method for removing the hair is using a large propane torch. However, the traditional approach would involve covering the pig with hay and setting it on fire. All the hair is entirely removed with a knife and hot water using a shaving technique throughout the pig’s entire body without damaging the skin to ensure it is thoroughly cleaned.
Once the pig has undergone the rigorous cleaning process, the men mark a cross on the pig’s forehead to signify the sacrifice and purify the meat. It is thoroughly rubbed with salt to tenderise the rind, then wrapped in thick wool blankets to retain heat. This practice stems from the harsh Romanian winters of yesteryears, where this process was a vital requirement to prevent the pig from freezing.
The next step in the process is to butcher the animal, ensuring that no part goes to waste. The pig’s legs are removed first, followed by the hams, muscles, backbone, head, and front and back thighs. Only the entrails are left on the belly. All the parts are separated into individual containers (traditionally made of wood) and are thoroughly salted, especially around cuts and joints. The entrails are carefully cut and removed not to touch any of the meat to avoid spoiling it. The stomach, small and large intestines are taken as far as possible to be cleaned with warm water by the unluckiest family member. The smell can be unbearable, but someone has to do this task, so the stomach can be used to make tobă, the large intestine for caltaboș and the small intestine for a variety of sausages such as lebăr. These will be thoroughly cleaned until the smell is gone, soaked in water with lemon juice or vinegar, and again rinsed with warm water.
The pork belly is cut into several strips and carefully trimmed to be prepared for the smoker or to be boiled in pickled cabbage juice or red wine. These are a few of the ways to make slănină or slană, one of the most delicious bits of pork, also known as home-cured bacon.
The head is split in half with an axe revealing the brain that must be cooked fresh by covering it in egg wash and flour and deep frying it, or simply adding it to scrambled eggs. It is considered a delicacy in certain parts of Romania, and usually, the hardest-working individual or the eldest in the family gets to enjoy it.
The head is boiled in a large cauldron known as a ceaun. Herbs, spices, and garlic are added to the cauldron to infuse the flavours into the meat. Half of the head is roasted in the oven and served with roasted vegetables, polenta, and pickled vegetables known as murături. The other half of the head is used to make tobă, a traditional Romanian delicacy that resembles a wide sausage made from the pig’s stomach. The tobă is filled with pork gelatin, pig ears, pork rind, bacon, pig organs such as heart and kidney, and various spices. Both ears will be added to make piftie, a cold snack or side dish served with sarmale, obtained by long boiling pork meat scraps, bone, cartilage and an abundance of garlic.
Chunks of fat and parts of the thighs are ground up to create a variety of sausages mixed with various spices and plenty of garlic. Additionally, the liver is combined with bits of pork meat, bacon, chopped onions, and whole eggs to make lebăr, the Romanian version of German liverwurst or French pâté. Some meat cuts, ribs, sausages, and bacon will be cooked on the grill in the coming days, while most of them will be smoked for several weeks using homemade smokers with beech, oak, maple, or willow wood. The fat cuts will be melted in a large pot to make lard, which will be used to store some of the smoked meats and sausages for the winter. Lastly, the remains of melted bacon, also known as jumări or pork greaves/scratchings, are a delightful snack.
The pièce de résistance has to be pomana porcului, one delicacy that is so simple and so delicious. Pomana porcului can be roughly translated as the pig’s alms. It is a family feast where the pork meat is fried in lard and turned into a stew which is served with polenta and murături. The food is served alongside boiled plum brandy known as țuică.
In traditional Romanian culture, the pig serves another purpose as an “oracle.” Elders believe that the pig’s spleen provides valuable insight into the duration of the winter season. According to their wisdom, if the spleen is thick at the end, this indicates a harsh winter with a lot of snow and a bountiful harvest in the summer. On the other hand, if the spleen is thin, it signifies a mild winter that is not with frosty conditions, an early spring arrival, and a not-promising year. Despite its potential divinatory significance, the spleen is inedible and is the only part of the pig that is discarded.
Romania is renowned for its beautiful cultural diversity, customs, and gastronomic delights. Its rich cultural heritage is reflected in its traditions and cuisine. However, along with these traditions and customs come a host of superstitious beliefs.
On the day of Ignatius, butchering the pig is the only permissible activity. It is essential that the slaughtering of the pig be conducted during daylight hours, as it is believed that light can ward off evil spirits. In several parts of Romania, the animal is sprinkled with holy water and placed with its head facing the East. Seeing blood on the day of Ignatius is believed to protect one from illnesses. The pig’s hair is preserved and used to smoke children thought to be under the spell of the evil eye. Additionally, it is said to smoke cattle shelters to prevent them from being attacked by wild animals. The pig’s bladder is not discarded but filled with grains and left to dry. The amount of joy and happiness that will prevail in the household is determined by the sound the bladder makes.
While the method may appear primitive, the pig is a critical component of the winter diet, and without it, people would starve during harsh winters. Consequently, every aspect of the pig is used, leaving nothing to waste. This approach highlights the respect for the animal’s sacrifice, making it a tradition that goes beyond simple sustenance.
Bibliography
Brent, A. (2007). Ignatius of Antioch: a Martyr Bishop and the Origin of Episcopacy
Liculescu, M. and Ionescu, D. (2011). THE EQUINOXES AND THE SOLSTICES IN THE ROMANIAN POPULAR CALENDAR.
Macrobius (2011). Saturnalia: Books 1-2. (Edited & Translated By Robert A. Kaster)
Pocol, C.B., Dumitraș, D.E. and Teselios, C.M. (2016). 68. Animal Slaughtering in Romanian Rural households: between Tradition and Legal Framework. Food futures: ethics, Science and culture.
