Christmas customs / traditions 

            Steaua ( The Star ) is a Christmas custom specific for the Romanian people on Christmas Eve. Those who go with the Star are especially children with ages between 7 and14. This tradition has a religious meaning being connected to the star that was shown to the three Wise Men in the East. The children go caroling with a big wooden star , adorned with colorful paper and fir branches.

Pluguşorul, an agricultural carol

            Pluguşorul is a small, richly ornamented plough with which young peasants go from house to house to greet people on New Year’s Eve. It is an agrarian tradition, with strong roots in the Romanian spirituality. It is a declamatory carol, with theatrical elements which speak alout people’s working days     (when they gather the crops and when they bake the bread). The plough which had sometimes a fir on it, was adorned with coloring paper, ribbons, towels and flowers.

Nowadays, all these are rather symbols in the context of the good wishes addressed to the high officials.