Traditional Easter Customs in Transylvania

The Transylvanian Easter Celebration

The Transylvanian Easter celebration is something truly special! Its traditional customs draw from influences of both the East and the West. Over a long period, specific practices developed for this holiday, rooted in Saxon, Hungarian, and Romanian cultures.

Holy Week Preparations

On Wednesday of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, women bake the traditional Easter bread and prepare the lamb roast typical for the Romanian Easter feast. Of course, eggs are also dyed and decorated: Romanian Easter eggs are little works of art that continually amaze the viewer with countless patterns and vibrant colors.

Easter Saturday Customs

On Holy Saturday, young men adorn fir branches with colorful ribbons. On Easter night, they quietly and secretly go to the homes of unmarried girls, where the branches are placed at the front door.

The Easter Meal Ritual

During the Easter meal, people tap red eggs according to a precisely defined ritual:

1. An older person (usually the head of the household) taps the tip of an egg held by another family member.
2. The older person says, "Christ is risen!"
3. The response follows: "He is truly risen!"

Easter Sunday Traditions

In some Transylvanian villages, another custom has been preserved for Easter Sunday: early in the morning, all village members splash their faces with water that has previously been dipped with a red egg, a silver coin, and a sprig of basil. Some regions of Transylvania believe that it brings good luck for an entire year if the first person to enter the house on Easter morning is a man.

Easter Feast

For the Easter feast on Sunday, the entire family gathers, and the richly laid table must include, above all, the following dishes:

• Red eggs
• Green onions
• Sheep cheese
• Salad
• Radishes
• The classic Drob (a type of lamb meatloaf filled with hard-boiled eggs)
• Lamb roast

Easter Monday Celebrations

On Easter Monday, the young men don their traditional festive attire and take delight in splashing girls and women with perfume. The young girls reciprocate in their own way: they offer the boys drinks, red eggs, and cake.