Merry Christmas! Craciun Fericit!

drawing/canvas / pencils/ 24 Decembrie 2011 
reproduction after “The Nativity” by French painter Noel Coypel 

Happy Christmas to everyone! Hope you all get what you wished for!

Craciun fericit tuturor!

Loneliness - Life for SALE

How to fight loneliness

Smile all the time

Shine you teeth to meaningless

Sharpen them with lies

And whatever is going down

Will follow you around

That's how you fight loneliness

You laugh at every joke

Drag your blanket blindly

Fill your heart with smoke

And the first thing that you want

Will be the last thing you'll ever need

That's how you fight it

Just smile all the time

Just smile all the time

Wilco - How To Fight Loneliness / Lyrics

Romanian Winter Traditions / Traditii Romanesti

During winter solstice, when the sun is weak and frost and dryness take over, Romanian peasants conceived ceremonies to help the Sun and Nature to overcome this "temporary crisis." 

Romania is a country with a long and complicated history. 

It also has a variety of customs, traditions and holidays.
Within South Eastern Europe however, Romania preserved a significant number of traditional customs and celebrations manifest within the strong community of the village.

Peasants possessed a deep knowledge of the way to tend the earth. They had the ability to enjoy life and to dream into the future. They were regular observers of the feasts for the earth, their cattle, the flowers and crops, and the overall beauty of living.
The Romanian customs can be divided into family customs, calendar-based customs and religious customs. They represent a "triptych" marked by the three major life changes: birth, marriage and death.

 December 10, 2011 - Village Museum - Bucharest

Village Museum-Bucharest

HANDMADE - Romanian Traditions

Marking the start of the festive season, 

Bucharest's Museum of The Romanian Peasant  hosts its St Nicholas Fair.

On the night of December 5th, boots are cleaned and carefully polished to be put by the door or on the windowsill to wait for St. Nicholas' (Sfantul Nicolae) visit. He is generous , putting a little present in each boot—usually nuts, tangerines, sweets and small items, like new socks. In some areas a walnut branch or thin twigs with gold, silver, or bronze gilded walnuts are left as a warning that behavior needs to improve. 

On the sixth of December, gifts are given to friends, children, and those in need. 

It is one of the most important Romanian holidays.

More than 800,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on St. Nicholas day, December 6th. 815,453 persons are named Nicholas or devivations of the name, 530,089 men and 285,364 women, reports the Ministry of Administration.

Over 1000 churches are dedicated to St. Nicholas in Romania, at least 23 are in Bucharest.'

St. Nicholas Center