CHRISTMAS in ROMANIA

On the evening of December 24th, after the religious service, all families gather around the table for having Christmas Dinner. Soon, the carol singers will be heard. They go from house to house singing and shouting, with violins, guitars and drums. When they arrive at their host's gate, they ask:"May we sing carols?" and the host answers:"Yes, you may!". After the first carols, they are let inside and offered food and drinks as a reward. On the Christmas Eve, young men also play specific popular drums ("The Goat", "The Star"). Lights are kept on all night long and there is no houses without carol singers. For the tourists, Christmas spent here is something that can never be forgotten.
On Christmas as well as New Year's Eve, in all Romanian regions, children form groups of singers and start singing carols before their neighbours' houses. One can hear such refrains as"White Flowers', "Day Break", "Veler, Greacious God". Starting with the night of 23rd towards 24th of December, from midnight to dawn villages lanes echo to the sound of carols singers. In towns and cities carol singers do the same, from dusk to midnight. Bag across shoulders, stick in hand, fur cap sunk to the ears, carol singers walk from door to door and sing before the well-lit windows. On this occasion, the hostess gives them cookies, nuts, apples, freshly backed ring-cakes.