Orthodox believers celebrate on Wednesday Saint Andrew, the First Called, the Romanians’ patron saint. On this day, over 940,000 Romanians celebrate their name day, according to the data of the General Directorate for the Registration of Persons. The most common names are Andrei and Andreea.
Saint Andrew is celebrated on November 30, and December 1 is Romania’s National Day and they are considered national holidays, so there will be no-working days.
Initially, in 1994, Saint Andrew was named the patron saint of Dobruja, and only in 1997 Andrew became the patron saint of Romania, while in 2012, November 30 became a public holiday.
The name Andrei/ Andrew comes from the Greek “Andreas”, which means “brave”, “manlike”.
The story of Saint Andrew in Romania tells that today’s territory of Romania was Christianized by Saint Andrew, Peters’ brother in the 1st century AD. These claims are backed by some historians and by several Christian artifacts discovered and dated to the third century BC.
The legend says that Saint Andrew arrived in Dobruja during a harsh winter, fighting wild beasts and the blizzard before reaching a cave. At the cave, Saint Andrew hit the ground with his walking stick and a spring came in to being, in the waters of which he baptized the locals and cured the ill, thus converting the whole area to Christianity.
The Saint Andrew Day is celebrated in Orthodox, Roman-Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican religions on the same day.
Traditions
In Romania the day is also known for the custom to let wheat spring in order to test the abundance of the upcoming year.
Romanians in Bukovina call the holiday “Andreiu’ winter head”, symbolizing the interference of evil and good plans. The legends say that on Saint Andrew’s night ghosts are walking around to steal “people’s minds” and “orchards’ fruit”. For that reason, peasants use garlic, oiling the house, the doors and windows, but also barns and hencoops with pounded garlic to chase away the evil spirits.
There is also the tradition of watching over the garlic. Lads and girls are watching and partying precisely that the garlic should gain good properties that would protect them against perils.
Another ritual celebrated on this night to test the fertility of the fields and orchards is to bring cherry branches in the house. If they bloom by Christmas, it’s a sign of fruitful year. Another custom is to put wheat in a clay pot to foresee the richness of the fields but also of a household in the year to come.
Tradition also says that girls try to find their future husband on Saint Andrew’s Eve. Thus, they throw plumb or melted tin into the water, which is foreshadowing the face of their future husband when it gets hard.
Also to find their pair, girls are standing in front of the mirror edged by two candles all night long until they catch a glimpse of the husband’s face.
Some elders used to observe the sky during St. Andrew’s night while predicting if the new year is poor or wealthy, rainy or dry, and even if it’s peace or war.
More than 940,000 Romanians celebrate their name day
More than 940,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on Saint Andrew, according to the data of the General Directorate for the Registration of Persons. The most common names are Andrei and Andreea. Regarding male first names, 3,059 Romanians are called Andi, 833 – Andreeas; 485,819 – Andrei; 1 – Andreiasi/Andreiasi; 331 – Andrei; 660 – Andrew; 287 – Andrey; 7 – Andrias/Andrias; 40 – Andries/Andries; 159 – Andrew; 8 – Andrusa/Andrusa; 2 – Andrusca/Andrusca/Andrusca; 22 – Andruta/Andruţă; 11.127 – András/Andras/Andras; 828 – Andrea/Andrea; 9.557 – Andréas/Andreas/Andreaş; 146 – Andu; 3.083 – Endre; 2 – Ondras.
A number of 31,604 Romanian women have the surname Andra; 21.264 – Andrada; 341.401 – Andrea; 7,896 – Andrea; 7 – Andrusa/Andrusa; 6 – Andrusca/Andrusca; 365 – Andruta/Andruţa; 24.462 – Andrea/Andrea; 395 – Goddess; 31 – Deia.