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May 1st: Armindeni
Also named "the bitters day" or "the drinkers' day", May 1st symbolizes in the folk tradition the beginning of the summer. The name of "Armindeni" (also Armendina, Armindin, Arminder) comes from the name of Jeremiah prophet, from the Christian calendar. In some areas from Banat and Transylvania, the "Armindeni" is celebrated on St. George's Eve.
Actually, the "Armindeni" is a green branch or a tree decorated with flowers and wheat ears, symbolizing an ancient vegetation god, who protected the crops and the animals. The branch or the tree is bring from the woods one day before and is planted in the front of the house on May 1st. It will remain there until the harvesting. Its wood will be used at the fire for baking the new bread.
On the Armindeni's Eve women don't work in house or on the field, being afraid of the hail and blizzard.
The "Armindeni" is also named "May tree". In Banat, it is placed before the houses of the most working men and of the maids. The green branch is secretly put there, in the night, by some young men. The man in the front of whose house the "Armindeni" was put must search the people who had done that and offer them drinks.
The green branch is also meant to keep away the witches, but it also reminds of the killing of the babies from the times of Irod. It is believed that at the end of the day, his men put a green branch at the gate of a house, in order to remember where they should start killing babies the next day. But in the next morning green branches were at all the gates, so the Irod's army didn't manage to kill little Jesus.
The ox is not used for working on the field on this day, as it is also "the ox' day". Not respecting this rule will cause the death of the animals or human illness.
People party in the woods or on the field. They eat lamb meat, listen to the fiddlers' music and drink red wine, for changing the blood and being protected of illness. In the evening, they return to the village singing and having lilac flowers or green bitters at the hats. If the "Armindeni" is on a Wednesday or on a Friday, people don't party, as these are fast days.
In Moldavia there's the tradition that young girls, women and children wash their hands and faces with the morning dew, in order to be clean and healthy all year long.
In Banat people believe that if they walk in the morning, they will be agile and strong. Women must seed beans, as this will grow very well. It is also said that people must drink a glass of water and eat bread with butter every May morning.
The tradition says that if it rains on this day, the rain will continue for 40 days.
May 12: St. Gherman (Herman of the Worms)
St. Gherman is the patron of the insects and worms which cause damage to the crops. He also masters the storms and the clouds which bring hail. For this reason, his day should be celebrated. It is believed that the worms will eat the vegetables and the cows will get ill if people work on this day.
May 21: Constantine Starling (Constantine of the Chickens)
Saints Constantine and Helen celebration from the Orthodox calendar coincides in the folk tradition with the moment when it is believed that the birds teach the chicken how to fly. Constantine Starling is the patron of the forest birds. People don't work on his day, being afraid of the birds which damage the crops.
This is generally the last day when corn, oat and millet are seeded.
May 25: John the Stone Boiler
People don't work on this day, being afraid of hail, lightening and thunder.
Most of these traditions are still valid with the except of that "people don't work on this day"! In most cases that isn't anymore valid at least in the citys.
Hope you enjoied MAY! and you are going to have a wonderful one :-)
With friendship,
Anamaria
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