Day 2 - Christmas Market Magic in Romania
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
Christmas Market Magic in Romania - U.S. Arts Envoy Day In the Life
It came as a surprise to me that Romania as a country counts itself as having over 90% Christian population.
The local people take great pride in their culture and traditions, and commonly participate in the wonder and magic that is a Christmas Market.
For those like me who had never visited such a market, it was a revelation of beauty and communal celebration of the holiday spirit that accompanied each of the three Christmas Markets I had the opportunity to visit.
The first was in Downtown Bucharest, a haven of hot chocolate, soft, creamy fur-strewn benches and lighted buildings dazzling with the seasonal colors.
This was said to be the smaller of the capital city's Christmas Markets and yet, it was perhaps the most delightful and welcoming site any visitor could hope to encounter on her first exploration of the ancient and mysterious lands of Romania.
The second Christmas Market I visited was in the middle of Sibiu, a cultural hot spot for Romanians nestled in the central mountains of Transylvania.
Such was the faith of the sculptor that he left his stall open for night visitors strolling the cobblestone stone streets of the rain drenched town to see the marvel of his hand carved, life sized wooden Nativity.
Across the square was the impeccable Filarmonica Sibiu Thalia Hall (The Sibiu Philharmonic), site of one of my scheduled public concerts and home of exquisite
entertainment provided free of charge for the people to enjoy.
Stopping off for a bite, we ate not one but two meals at the Hermania, a location revered by the musicians of the philharmonic with the coziness of a mountain chalet draped int he backdrop of this jewel of a city.
Sibiu, I love you and look forward to returning to perform our long awaited encore on your magnificent historic stage.
The third and largest Christmas Market we visited was in the heart of Cluj Napoca, Romania's cosmopolitan cultural centre in the North.
It is here that I learned some of the native dress of Romanians.
One of our Embassy guides, Denisa told us of the customary blouse, a white flowing garment with red embroidery, which is regarded as a rite of passage and a protective garment for a young girl as she enters womanhood.
We were able to meet with some of the traditional artisans that practiced their traditional crafts and speak to them through the help of our Embassy host and translator, Isabella.
From smoked meats to candies, textiles and furs, the Christmas Market offered a feast for the senses that will stay with me for the rest of my days.
Perhaps that's the true magic of the Christmas Market - to bring the community together to warm the holidays and share their love of family, culture and tradition with each other and the travelers from around the world.
Come back for the next installment in this Day-In-the-Life of a U.S. Arts Envoy in Romania series - Day 3: Traveling In Transylvania.
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