Romania
The winter holidays season starts with St. Andrew’s Day on the 30th of November, the patron saint of Romania. The next day, the 1st of December marks the National Day of Romania, the ceremonies being held all over the country, the most impressive being in Bucharest and Alba Iulia (the city where the Great Union was signed in 1918). St. Nicholas’ Day on the 6th of December is much awaited by children, as on the eve they receive gifts in the cleaned boots or a coloured stick for the naughty ones.
Christmas is celebrated between 24-26 December, especially within the family. The laborious, magical suite of carols are sung during the whole Advent, which starts on the 15th of November and especially on Christmas Eve. The New Year holiday lasts from the 31st of December till the 2nd of January, being rich in customs and traditions. The season ends with the Epiphany Holiday, on the 6th of January and St. John Day, on the 7th of January.
Târgul de Crăciun Craiova
Foto: Florin Gherasim
Christmas Fairs
Christmas Markets have become a much waited attraction of the season, the most famous ones being in the big cities like Bucharest, Timișoara – European Capital of Culture 2023, Sibiu, Brașov, Alba Iulia, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Craiova, Constanța, Iași, Suceava, Piatra-Neamț.
Foto: Consiliul Județean Suceava
Winter Traditions
The main events of the season are St Andrew’s Day, the National Day, St. Nicholas’ Day, Christmas, New Year, Epiphany, St. John’s Day, when the rich Romanian traditions can be experienced. Outstanding is the men’s caroling group which is declared UNESCO intangible heritage.
Foto: Mihai Oprescu
Gastronomy
Traditional dishes prepared for the winter holidays are various, like different kinds of ciorba (sour soup), sarmale (filled cabbage or vine leaves), cozonac (sweet bread with walnuts and cocoa). They are accompanied by quality wines as Romania is a wine country for more than 4000 years.
Foto: Iulian Pănescu
Winter outdoors
There is a wide range of outdoor activities to be enjoyed even in the cold season. The landscape of the Carpathian Mountains is charming and the are numerous resorts with facilities for winter sports or for wellness with mineral and thermal springs. Romania is a call for nature lovers and adventurers seeking to reconnect to nature.
Tours recommended by our partners
Snowshoeing in Romania
Experience the Romanian wilderness in a 6 day snowshoeing trip, combining the winter landscape with the historical places and with the local gastronomy.
Our hosts are the most appreciated representants of the communities, always happy to meet our guests.
Manors and Mineral Water Route
Our cycling tour is a unique experience: we are following the mineral water springs, but also the historical manors in the central region of Romania, currently back to life after the end of communist era. Surrounded by volcano mountains, the region is also one of the most vivant ethnic minorities.