Christmas Eve

Badnja Vece (Christmas Eve in Serbian) has always been my favorite day of the year, that being January 6th not December 24th. After the past two Christmases spent in Singeorz-Bai, I have realized that the 24th is always one of my favorite days of the year and it is thanks to my students and them showing me the wonderful traditions that come with this day.

Romanians have a lovely tradition of caroling for the night of Christmas Eve that starts sometime after dinner and can go as late as the next morning. They as friends, family, or classmates, go from house to house caroling where they are then invited inside for a drink, treat, and some great company. I spent this particular night at my house with Robert waiting for my students to come caroling. We bought the drinks, I made about 150 brownies, and we were ready just in time when the first class showed up around 8pm. I was visited by almost all of the classes that I teach as well as last year’s 12A class that has graduated and is on to college. The last group that came was the current 12A that stayed until about 1am. The whole night was an absolute blast and I am so happy that I decided to stay at home and spend this holiday with my kids.

We are in town until the 27th when we head off to Sighetu Marmatiei to meet up with Anthony at Kevin’s site to celebrate the holidays Maramures style!

Until then,

Va pup si va doresc un craciun fericit!

Me with some of the kids from 12A

Caroling

Every year my school’s last day before winter vacation tradition is to put on a Christmas caroling competition. Here are some of the pictures and videos from this year’s competition:

Vasi’s nephew. So cute.

Ani (the school psychologist) and Varvara (one of the English teachers)

Some of 12B with their head teacher

Luci and Vasi

Some of 12B

Luci Crina and Vasi

9A

Covrigi and Apples!

Vasi and Crina

Vasi and Ancuta

Tis the Season!

Being the last week before Christmas break, things has been pretty relaxed around school. We haven’t really been teaching this week since we have been finishing up inputting our grades into the catalogs, testing, and just hanging out with our students. Yesterday classes were let out at noon so everyone could partake in the caroling contest the school put on at the casa de cultura (house of culture). Most of the classes participated and the carols ranged from very traditional songs that dated back who knows how long to some more modern Romania/French/English collaborations. It was a really great event and in a way made me really homesick. It made me miss all my friends and family back home and I even had to choke back the tears a few times. Below are some videos of the students singing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a video of either of my 11th grade classes I teach.

After all of the performances and while the judges deliberated as to who the winner was, a few of the really good singers came on stage. The first video is one of my 12B students whom I tutor, Emanuela. Her voice is amazing and the first time i heard her sing in my class, she sang Ave Maria and blew me away.

We (the teachers) ended the day in a classroom where we gathered to celebrate the holiday by enjoying some snacks, homemade wine, and traditional Romanian carols. It was beautiful to hear everyone singing and the music teacher playing his violin and another on the guitar. I am so grateful to experience all of these great traditions and its so nice to see the true spirit of Christmas. Without all of the marketing and commercialization. Here, in the tiny town of Singeorz-Bai, in the middle of the mountains in Romania, the true meaning of Christmas still exists. Cherishing the time spent with friends and family, not material things such as presents.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES!