The lifestyle and culture to follow in Romania
If you are considering moving to Romania, you must be looking for information about the future lifestyle you will be experimenting with. Are the people friendly? Is there an interesting tradition you want to be part of? This article will clear up these questions.
Life in Romania is generally guided by religious traditions, and it is a mixture of music and local cuisine that you can experience in most parts of the country. Religion is a very important aspect, especially in family life. Still, Romania is not that traditional in this direction, such as Turkey, for instance. But let's find out more about the lifestyle here.
People in Romania
All the foreign visitors who came to Romania noticed that people here are very friendly and hospitable, especially when it comes to expats or foreigners. Romanians are Latins, meaning that they are dynamic, warm, playful and very fun. Wherever you go in the country, you will see that Romanians will want to help you, although they do not speak a foreign language.
Religion and ancestral practices in Romania
Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, and most of its population identifies as Orthodox Christian. Hence, Easter and Christmas are the two most important festivals as these have the primary purpose of reuniting families. Generally, the Romanian community is quite attached to their roots, and many old traditions have been kept to this day as the celebration of Martisor (the first day of spring).
Traditions in Romania
There are some national holidays when people have free days from work. For instance, January 1st and 2nd, the Monday following Orthodox Easter, National Day (1st of December), May 1st, Christmas Day.
A beautiful tradition is Martisor, which happens on the 1st of March, and it is the celebration of the beginning of spring. Men offer women decorative objects, which are tied with red and white ribbons.
Romanian cuisine
Romanian cuisine is a blast. The traditional food is tasty, and the portions are very generous. Now, the food has some influences, such as Turkish, Hungarian, Greek and German. Pork is the favourite meat in Romania, but there are also a variety of meat products, made from chicken, lamb, beef dishes.
Meals are always coming with a soup, “ciorba”, which is rich enough to replace a meal. Also, the traditional food people can try here are “sarmale”, “mititei”, or pie with sweet cheese, known as “poale-n brâu”.
Special drinks in Romania
Romania is blessed with great wine and beer. Also, Romanians think that there is no food good enough without the special very strong drink, “palinca”. Also, the country has beautiful wineries, where people can try amazing wines.
Local transport in Romania
The local transport in Romania is very affordable, offering a wide range of options. Foreigners can choose to use the train, the buses or the cheap taxis in the big cities of the country. Although there are lots of means of transport, the infrastructure in Romania is still very poor and needs improvement.
The language in Romania
The Romanian language is a Latin-based language, which has some words that really resemble French, Spanish or Italian. Therefore, if you are coming from one of these countries, you will recognise many Romanian words. In the big cities, you will see that people are often speaking English very well, while others may speak French and German as well.
Useful links:
National Tourism Office - Romanian traditions and folklore
CFR Calatori
Romanian Wineries
