The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant is waiting for you at the Saint Elijah Fair, from Friday, the 15th, until Sunday, the 17th of July, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Craftsmen, antique dealers and artists bring to the fair: wooden objects, ceramics, fabrics, braids, toys, ornaments, icons and many, many more just in the middle of summer at the Road Museum.
There will also be goodies such as homemade cakes, gingerbread, honey or medicinal herbs and the traditional ‘țuica’ (alcohol). Visitors are also invited to browse and read books from the Museum’s library.
The ticket prices to the fair are: EUR 2,43 (adults); EUR 1,21, (pensioners); EUR 0,61 (students).
Tickets can also be purchased online at www.booktes.com
Romanian traditions on the Saint Elijah holiday
On the day of St. Elijah, people do not work so that the hail won’t fall, and they do not eat apples,
so that the hail is not of an apple size.
Also, on this day, women go to church and give alms to people for the soul of the dead ones.
On the morning of this day, medicinal plants are harvested, especially basil, which are then put to
dry, and the women bring basil to the church to be sanctified, after which, when they return home, they set it on fire,
and the resulting ash is used for therapeutic purposes.
On Saint Elijah, Romanians also remember the souls of the dead, especially the souls of children dead. Women were calling children under an apple tree, which they used to shake and give the fallen apples as alms. The churches are now full of food for the remembrance of the dead (Moşii de Sânt-Ilie), and at the households are organized meals.
On St. Elijah, in the villages, beekeepers harvest honey from bees. The honey is harvested only by men dressed in festive clothes, helped by a child, and women who are not allowed to enter the apiary. After harvesting the honey, those in the house, along with relatives and neighbours are invited to a festive moment where they taste the honey. The festive meal are intended to ensure the abundance of beekeepers.
