‘Halloween is now long gone’ you would say, but in reality it’s only just begun in Romania. Like many other countries around the globe, we too have our own rituals and traditions to celebrate the souls who are no longer among us. If in Spain this special day is called ‘Dia de los muertos’, the Brits usually connect it with ‘Guy Fawkes Day’ and the Day of the Dead, called Araw ng mga Patay in the Philippines and so on. In Romania, it is believed that the skies will open leaving the border between realms to fade and allowing the souls of the dead to roam on the Earth on the day of St. Andrew’s on November, the 30th.

St Andrew, believed to be the first apostle to have spread Christianity in the area that is now Romania, was associated with the spirit of the wolf, worshiped by Romania’s ancestors as the guardians of our people. Therefore many legends with mystic flavor picture the wolves as symbolic characters among this part of the world.

It is believed that on Saint Andrew’s eve the border between worlds vanishes, ghosts and ghouls come to life, magic is more powerful and therefore a series of charms and rituals must be performed to protect the household, animals, and people. On this particular day the future can be revealed: girls who want to dream their betroth hide a little branch of basil under their pillow, peasants plant wheat seeds and pray it will sprout so that the next year will bring plentiful crops, animals are said to be given the gift of speech but whoever hears their secrets will be cursed, the weather on St Andrew’s Day is a preiview of the winter to come.

November, the 30st is effectivly the last day of fall so in the countryside, it is known as ‘Andrew’s head of winter’ enabling both Good and Evil to emerge in this world. This is why Romanians observe this day in rest and prayer. No chores are done around the household.

And if you want to make sure you are safe, there is indeed one full-proof ingredient that will keep evel spirits away from you ….yes, you guessed it!  It’s GARLIC of course:))) . You might find it a bit funny but don’t be surprized if you’ll see garlic hanging over the doors or windows just know that it is there to protect against evil spirits, unhappiness, and charms. Also know that in Romania, garlic is quite a popular treat the common cold, and if sprinkled with holy water it will also attract your soul mate around Saint Andrew’s Day.

This very important (both pagan as well as christian) holiday in Romania has lots of traditions and mystic stories to reveal. Therefore, if you want to learn more about it, do join us on our spooky but definitely fun experience :  HALLOWEEN TO ST ANDREW’S NIGHT in Bucharest.