Sumedru
Sumedru
Sumedru
The night before his feast is renowned under the name The Night of
Wandering Ghosts .It is said that in this night the ghosts fight at the
borderline and crossroads and can attack people.
To protect themselves and their families , people smear the doors and the
windows with garlic souce or eat garlic. In some parts of Moldova, a
beverage called COVASA is consumed in order to protect them. It is
prepared from corn hominy mixed with water and then it is put to ferment
until St. Andrews Feast.
The youth used to throw a big party that night, at the guarding of the
garlic. One or two women guard the garlic brought by the girls so that
boys might not steal it. This garlic is said to have healing powers, to help in
long journeys and to chase ghosts.
Another type of custom that was preserved is the divination ones. The girl try to
find their chosen ones by looking naked into a well , into the mirror, into a cup of
water where was sunk a wedding ring or by eating a salty pastry product named
TURTA , believing that their chosen one will bring them water Another custom
kept those days is about sawing grain on St. Andrews day and let it spring. It is
said that the way the grain looks at Christmas, so the crops will look the fallowing
year.
Winter Sezatori
The season of the sezatori starts after the Christmas Lasatul Secului.
Back then , the sezatoare means a meeting of all age women in one of
them s house to help spinning the herm and wool or to spin their own
materials.
After dark, the women made tracks with the distaffs to the joint house.
In case there was a helping meeting, the hostess break down the material
they had to spin that night into equal parts and give it to the participants
to spin , but if it was an communal meeting, everybody spin their own
material.
After the participants had received their part, they were served with a
traditional beverage called tuica , usually sweetened with honey.