Santa Claus

In Romanian tradition, Christmas is a real person who is endowed with miraculous powers, who has also qualities and flows characteristic to a human being.
Christmas is ,, an old man", an old shepard,with a snow white beard and he*s also Old Eve*s neighbour.
The legend says that Christmas* wife, Mrs.Christmas(Craciuneasa), ignoring her husband, gives shelter to Virgin Mary, allowing her to give birth in their barn. When learning of this, Christmas punishes Craciuneasa by cutting off her hands; Virgin Mary replaces them by miracle. This miracle converts Christmas to Christianity. Exalted by this miraculous change of events, Christmas lights up a bonfire using fir tree branches, and all his servants start dancing in his yard.
After the dance, Old Christmas gives gifts to the Holly Family, gifts like: cheese, milk, sweet cheese and cream. This is why Christmas is perceived as being the person who brings presents to children on the night Jesus was born.
His servants songs of joy are what we now call carols.On Christmas Eve, as well as on New Year*s Eve throughout all provinces of Romania children gather in groups and sing carols at the houses of their neighbours, these carols sing of: ,,Florile dalbe", ,,Lerui ler", ,,Ziurel de ziua".

Let's see how Romanian students celebrate Christmas!

Iuliana Neacsu, Romanian languagea teacher,
Eforie Nord School, Romania