Why should everybody must cheer up on Saint John Day?

Saint John Day is celebrated in Romania on January 7, with more than two millions Romanians celebrating their name day. St. John the Baptist ends the winter holidays opened by Saint Nicholas on December 6. The celebration is also known as “Sântion”.
The folk tradition goes that Saint John is the babies’ protector, assuring they are born healthy, without malformations.

Saint John is also a day of joy and one must be happy this day or else will be sad the whole year.

Some in the countryside used to celebrate the day of Saint John so that God should keep away their households from fire and their animals from beasts.

Also on St. John, there is the custom of “women’s bathing”, which is in fact a housewives’ party. Women are usually gathering at some host’s place, and each of them is bringing food and drink, while partying till morning.

Another St. John custom is “Iordăneala”. Several youngsters who took Holly Water from the priest on St. John’s Eve, are going to church in the morning of St. John Day and, after the church service is over, they go splashing every man who comes out and wish him/her good luck. The ‘splashed’ people must reward the carolers with money.

The tradition however says that on the morning of St. Joh, every person must spray with new Holly Water to stay away from diseases all year long.

As far as the weather is concerned, the folk tradition says that after Saint John, the frost is baptized, meaning it begins to ‘melt down’ and it’s getting warmer.