One such tradition that stands out is how Romanians observe Saint Mary’s Day on August 15th. What makes this day particularly interesting is the celebration itself and the varying attitudes and practices surrounding it.

The Dual Nature of Saint Mary’s Day in Romania

August 15th is observed in many Christian countries as the Feast of the Assumption, commemorating the day when the Virgin Mary was believed to have been taken into Heaven. This day is called “Sfânta Maria Mare,” or Great Saint Mary’s Day in Romania. It is one of the most significant religious holidays in the country, marked by church services, family gatherings, and various local customs.

However, how this day is celebrated—or, in some cases, not celebrated—reveals a complex relationship with the tradition. While many Romanians honour this day with deep religious reverence, others may pass it by with little fanfare. The controversy lies like the Assumption itself: it is seen as a solemn occasion, marking the end of the Virgin Mary’s earthly life.

A Celebration Divided

In Romania, it is customary for people to celebrate their name day—the feast day of the saint after whom they are named. For those named Maria, Marian, or any of the numerous variations of the name, one would assume that August 15th is a day of celebration. Yet, this is not always the case.

The reason for this divide is tied to the belief that celebrating life rather than its end is more appropriate. As such, many Romanians prefer to honour their name day on September 8th, known as “Sfânta Maria Mică,” or Little Saint Mary’s Day, commemorating the Virgin Mary’s birth. This day is viewed as a more joyous occasion, a celebration of life rather than a solemn remembrance.

For those unfamiliar with these traditions, seeing such a significant day met with varying degrees of observance can be surprising. While August 15th remains an important religious holiday, the choice to celebrate it or not can be deeply personal, influenced by family customs, regional practices, and individual beliefs.

Understanding the Nuance

This nuanced approach to Saint Mary’s Day reflects Romania’s broader cultural and religious complexity. For those living or travelling in the country, it offers a fascinating glimpse into how traditions evolve and adapt. It also highlights the importance of understanding the context behind these customs, particularly in a country where religion and daily life are so closely intertwined.

So, if you find yourself in Romania on August 15th, don’t be surprised if you encounter a range of responses to the day. Whether it’s a day of quiet reflection, joyous celebration, or simply another day on the calendar, Saint Mary’s Day is a unique example of how Romanians navigate the intersection of tradition, faith, and personal belief.

The varied observance of Saint Mary’s Day is just one of many examples of Romania’s intricate cultural landscape. In a country where history, religion, and local customs often blend unexpectedly, similar complexities are not uncommon in other traditions. From Easter celebrations that differ by region to the diverse ways Christmas is observed, Romania offers a wealth of cultural experiences that can be enlightening and perplexing for outsiders.

For those looking to truly understand Romania, it’s essential to delve into these traditions, ask questions, and appreciate the layers of meaning behind each custom. Saint Mary’s Day, with its blend of celebration and controversy, is a perfect starting point for anyone interested in exploring the unique cultural fabric of this Eastern European nation.

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Apparently, the man climbed onto a high edge inside the cathedral, and from there, he jumped towards the floor. The jump seems to be pretty lean, as the parachute opened and the man landed nicely.

According to the Romanian Orthodox Church, even though the clip was posted recently, the jump was made last summer, judging by the evolution of the works.

According to the estimates resulting from the analysis of the published images, in which details related to the evolution of the interior site can be observed, the incident took place last year during the summer. The coordinating teams of the National Cathedral site have notified the security and surveillance services, which are currently carrying out checks on the existing databases on the identified time interval, both for the interior and exterior space of the Cathedral.

We mention that the incident is a fraudulent act, committed abusively and without any involvement on the part of those working on this site. Given the high degree of risk of the incident, the coordinating team of the National Cathedral will request the support of the competent authorities who are able to carry out an appropriate investigation in order to detect that person.

Romanian Orthodox Church Press Release

The clip gathered 30K views on Youtube shorts after it was posted on the Extreme Official Youtube channel.

The Romanian Police investigates the circumstances of the incident. The man could be charged, by Romanian law, with trespassing private property or, if the case, vandalizing the property. For the last one, it has to be proved that the man damaged the property.

Romanian Cathedral, named People’s Salvation Cathedral, is one of the most controversial initiatives in Bucharest. While some consider that the enormous sums of money invested so far could’ve been used better for hospitals and schools, others think that the building will attract visitors to Romania’s Capital.

It is the most significant and highest Orthodox Cathedral in the world, and it is still under construction, with no definitive target date to be finalized.

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Among the stars on stage, Alexandra Stan is just one famous abroad for honoring this initiative.

Also, the choir of the Romanian Patriarchy will offer a spiritual experience in the memory of the souls taken by pandemics, as reported by local media.

The concert, named “ARTISTS FOR LIFE,” is broadcast live on national television TVR1 and promises top performance from the artists.

Would you like to watch it live? You can do that by entering online at 18.00 EET on the following link. Enjoy!

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In the Northern part of Romania, where the famous Romanian wooden churches survived the difficult times of the past, a few local NGOs and organizations, along with local authorities, created a platform. This enables the users to access it and to dive into virtual tours of the churches in the area.

The project, called Codru Culture, has already uploaded 18 virtual tours of the churches within a certain cultural area. If you don’t want to travel or you cannot travel during this period, you can always visit the wooden churches of Romania by accessing the virtual tours.

Who knows, maybe sometime later you’ll get to visit them in person!

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Not only that, but the cathedral has the heaviest free-swinging bell in the world, with a weight of 25,2 tons.

Now, it is time for this sumptuous iconic monument of the Orthodox faith to accomplish another record: the largest Orthodox iconostasis in the world. An iconostasis is the wall of paintings with religious scenes which separate the nave from the sanctuary.

The achievement was noted by the World Record Academy.

The People’s Salvation Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului), also known as the National Cathedral, an Orthodox cathedral under construction in Bucharest, Romania, to serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, has a giant Orthodox iconostasis (23.8 meters length and 17.1 meters height and an area of 407 square meters), which sets the new world record for the Largest Orthodox Iconostasis

World Record Academy

So far, the People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest has been erected based on donations from people, organizations, or even from the Bucharest Municipality. Its costs, from 2010 until 2018, raised at EUR 110 M and it will be finished by 2025 when the Romanian Orthodox Church will mark 100 years since its establishment.

For more details and achievements of the Romanian Cathedral, please visit the dedicated page from Visit Bucharest Today, your travel guide while in Romania’s Capital.

This section is powered by Visit Bucharest Today! Bucharest Guide.

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Along history, the spirituality and the religion were those who kept the unity of the nation and also the hopes of the Romanians for better times. The most appreciated Romanian ruler of all times, Stephen the Great, used to build a church after each victorious battle, and there were more than 20.

At the moment, there are more than 18,000 churches and monasteries on Romanian territory and their number increases year after year. Each town or village has at least one church, but more churches are being built. In Bucharest an ambitious project is rising even higher than Ceausescu’s House of People, the current Palace of Parliament: the National Cathedral or the People’s Salvation Cathedral. Though controversial, as the costs of the cathedral are pretty high, it is expected for this to become an important point of attraction for believers, but also for the international tourists.

This is the context where some voices express their criticism to the religiousness of the Romanian people, as there are 6 times more churches than hospitals or schools. Still, a spiritual people is not necessarily an uneducated one and there could be found funds for both spirituality and education, if wanted.

One of the most important religious celebration in Romania is the Saint Andrew’s celebration, taking place each year on November 30th. Saint Andrew, who is thought to have lived in Romania in the ancient times and who is considered to be the Baptizer of the Romanian people, is also called the Savior or the Patron of Romania. Immediately after this celebration, Romanians celebrate their National Day, on December 1st.

Saint Andrew’s Day is usually celebrated by pilgrims by going to the cave where it is thought he had lived and to the adjacent Monastery of Saint Andrew, placed in Constanta, South – Eastern Romania. As the country’s authorities try to avoid large gatherings, the local Gendarmerie announced their troops will guard the cave and will deter the pilgrims from gathering.

On the other hand, while being forbidden from gathering to religious holidays, the Romanian people is expected to gather to vote on December 6, when parliamentary elections are organized. This is why the local religious leaders issued a public letter requesting in the name of the Romanian people the right for expressing their religious belief. Also, a call for the worshippers to gather during the holiday was launched and people are expected to attend the ceremony.

This is the same archdiocese which decided to celebrate Easter a second time, the Romanian Archdiocese of Tomis, at that time the gesture generating lots of controversy.

Photo source: Monastery St Andrew website

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The decision, which is unprecedented for the Romanian Orthodox Church, was justified by the worshipers’ desire to receive the Holy Light in a proper manner and to proper celebrate Jesus resurrection. As most of the countries world-wide, Romania was in lockdown during Easter celebration this year, in April, because of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Romanian Orthodox Church opposed such a decision, but its leaders let the Archdiocese to redo the Easter celebrations based on the autonomy of the regional archdioceses in Romania.

In Romania, more than 89% of the people say they are religious, which places the country on the 7th place in the world. Also, in Romania, 86% of the people are Orthodox and Orthodox Church has a great influence over Romanians.

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