How to spend the winter holidays in Bucharest like a local
If you are travelling to Bucharest during the winter holidays, you will find the locals’ practices very interesting, as Romanians value tradition very much! You can spend the holidays however you are used to or like, but you might also want to try out a new perspective and learn more about the culture of Romania. Also, a big bonus is that these traditions mostly consist of gifts and delicious foods and drinks you can only get a taste of during this time of the year!
Food
You’ll be very happy to hear that some of the best and most recognised Romanian food is specially cooked just in the last month of the year, in order to celebrate the local religious beliefs. Romanians fast for six weeks. The fasting ends with a big feast on the 25th of December, with lots of foods using pig meat. We recommend making a reservation at a traditional restaurant in the capital and asking for “cabbage rolls, sweet bread, sausage, cookies, steak” and the following delicacies that do not have an equivalent in English language: “tobă, lebăr, caltaboși, colaci”.
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Beverages
Having some Slavic roots, Romanian know how to make and appreciate good alcohol. And again, the winter holidays are a great time to find traditional drinks almost everywhere as Romanians themselves like to drink for the good times and a little warmth. You may have heard of mulled wine before, but here you should definitely try the following Romanian drinks “pălincă, rachiu, țuică fiartă, vișinată”. Just don’t try them all at once.
Carols
Carols, or how they’re known here, “colinde”, are a local habit that is meant to spread the Christmas spirit in every house. Mostly children, but some adults join them too, go from door to door and sing traditional songs and poems about the winter holidays, receiving fruits, sweets and even money in the end. Most probably locals won’t knock at your hotel door, but you can spot them on the streets and listen to their songs!
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Family time
As we said, the winter holidays mean a lot to Romanians because it’s that time of the year when families get together. There’s not much to this habit, everybody spends their time how they please, usually by eating, drinking and listening to carols together.
After all, winter holidays are a natural combination of closed ones being together, enjoying good food and drinks, listening or even singing carols and spreading a positive message. This may look a lot like how you spend this time of the year, but what makes the difference is the local tradition, which is very strong in Romania. We welcome you to discover more about Romanian culture by spending some time in Bucharest during the winter holidays at New Era Hotel!
