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People of Romania

Over 20 million people live in Romania.   Ethnic breakdown is 89% Romanian 7.5% Hungarian, 1.9% Gypsy, German, Ukrainian, Armenian, Croatian, Serbian and Turkish.

Foreign visitors consider Romanians among the friendliest and most hospitable people on earth.
Romanians are by nature fun loving, warm, hospitable, playful, with an innate sense of humor.

Romania is associated with big names in arts and sports:

Constantin Brâncuși (1876 - 1957) — the artist whose works redefined sculpture, the most important sculptor of the Twentieth-Century. Considered by many the Father of Abstract Sculpture, Brâncuși's work has profoundly influenced the modern concept of shape in sculpture, paining and drawing.

"Most people do not possess the inner drive to pursue, and accept, the true reality, the only reality that matters. Many of us accept to be deceived by appearance and go no further.   Because the need for security is stronger, it cuts the wings of the eleutheromania and jails the spirit in conformity."
(excerpt, Brancusi 1938 interview)

Mircea Eliade - historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor.

Dramatist Eugen Ionesco, one of the foremost figures of the avant-garde theatre.

Composer, violinist and conductor George Enescu .

Yehudi Menuhin, Enescu's most famous pupil, once said about his teacher:
"He will remain for me the absoluteness through which I judge others".
He also considered Enescu "the most extraordinary human being, the greatest musician and the most formative influence" he had ever experienced”.

Pan flute virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir.
Known as "Master of the Pan Flute", Zamfir introduced the folk instrument to a modern audience and revived it from obscurity. He plays an expanded version of normally 20-pipe pan flute (nai in Romanian), with 22, 25, 28 or even 30 pipes, to increase its range, and obtaining as many as eight overtones from each pipe.

Zamfir's first appearance as soloist interpreter in a movie soundtrack was in Vladimir Cosma's 1972 Le Grand Blond avec une Chaussure Noire whose soundtrack became a worldwide hit.

Nadia Comăneci
— the gymnastics legend who stunned the world with her skills on the uneven bars, the first in the world to score a perfect 10. Nadia is practically single-handedly responsible for the popularity of gymnastics as a sport, thanks to sweeping the Olympics for gold medals in her youth.

Opera performer, soprano Angela Gheorghiu
"The world's most glamorous opera star" (New York Sun)."
"…perhaps the most instantly recognizable and interesting soprano voice of our time… a liquid instrument of great beauty" (Gramophone).

Winner of Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance,
pianist Radu Lupu is widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of his time.
Lupu was frequently cited by fellow musicians as an inspiration and model of artistic expression, particularly for his interpretations of Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven and Bartok, among other composers.
"If there's one pianist who challenges you to hear classical music in a whole new way, it's Radu Lupu. Since winning the Van Cliburn Competition in 1966, he's gained a loyal following for his idiosyncratic interpretations that always explore the complex emotions behind the music".
(attribution: CarnegieHall.org)
"Lupu's "singing tone here must be heard to be believed.   Without belittling the other facets of Schubert's musical personality, he captures the composer's songful essence with a rare beauty – and, in so doing, does ample justice to the music of the past."
(attribution: The New York Times)

Alexandra Nechita — a young Romanian painter living in California, known for her distinct style.

Ilie Năstase — Twice ranked as the world's number one men's player in the early 1970s, Ilie Nastase won two Grand Slam singles titles during his illustrious career: the US Open in 1972 and the French Open in 1973.

One of the greatest touch players of the post-war era, Nastase was runner-up at Wimbledon in 1972 and 1976; he won 57 career singles titles and 51 doubles titles and is one of five players to win more than 100 pro titles in singles and doubles. Every single year between 1970 and 1977 Năstase ranked in the top 10 tennis player . In 1991, Ilie Nastase was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Life and work of sculptor Constantin Brâncuși
six-minutes video by award winning broadcaster and historian Tessa Dunlop

More than 55% of Romania's population lives in urban areas
(there are 230 large towns, 25 cities with a population of more than 100,000
and 8 cities with more than 300,000 inhabitants)
while 45 % of Romanians have their main residence in rural areas
(2,868 communes and 13,285 villages).
The main administrative divisions are called "judet" (county).
There are 41 counties in Romania.
The capital city, Bucharest (Municipiul Bucuresti), has the status of a county.

Main religions in Romania

Eastern Orthodox 78%
Greek Catholic 10%
Roman Catholic 5%
Protestant 5%
Unitarian,
Jewish,
other

Romanian Language

Romanian, a Latin based language which is a continuation of the Latin
spoken in ancient times in Dacia and Moesia - the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
A 31-letter Latin alphabet is in use.

Ethnic minorities (Hungarian and German) use their own languages in school and civil administration.

Literacy rate in Romania is 98%.

Many Romanians living in towns and cities are able to communicate in English, French or German.
In smaller villages only younger people and children usually speak foreign languages.
Around 80% of Romanians speak one foreign language, 25% speak two and 4% speak three or more foreign languages.
Romania has over 100 universities; every year over 30,000 students get their engineering degree and 8,000 earn their degrees in IT sciences

For more information about Romanian language, a pronunciation guide and useful words and phrases please visit
RomaniaTourism Romanian Language section.

If interested in learning Romanian in Romania/ take Romanian Language Classes, please visit www.RoLang.ro

Romania Public Holidays

Public Holidays in Romania
January 1   and   2New Year
January 6 Epiphany
January 7 St. John the Baptist Day
January 24 Union of Romanian Principalities Wallachia and Moldova
February 19 birthday of artist Constantin Brancusi
March, April or May
(date varies, please see below)
Orthodox Good Friday
March, April or May
(date varies, please see below)
Orthodox Easter Monday
May 1Labor Day
May or June
(date varies, please see below)
Whit Monday (Rusaliile)
celebrated 50 days after the Orthodox Easter
June 1Children's Day
August 15 The Dormition of the Theotokos / Assumption of Mary (Sfanta Maria)
November 30Saint Andrew Day (Sfantul Andrei)
December 1National Day of Romania
December 25   and   26Christmas

	

Dates of Orthodox Good Friday (Vinerea Mare):
2024 – May 3
2025 - April 18
2026 – April 10
2027 – April 30
2028 – April 14
2029 – April 6
2030 – April 26


	

Dates of the Orthodox Easter (Paștele Ortodox):
2024 – May 5 and 6
2025 - April 20 and 21
2026 – April 12 and 13
2027 – May 2 and 3
2028 – April 16 and 17
2029 – April 8 and 9
2030 – April 28 and 29


	

Dates of Whit Monday (Rusaliile):
2024 – June 23 and 24
2025 - June 9 and 10
2026 - May 31 and June 1
2027 - June 20 and 21
2028 - June 4 and 5
2029 - May 27 and 28
2030 - June 16 and 17

According to the Greek Orthodox Church, nearly every day of the year
is dedicated to the memory of at least one Christian saint or martyr.
If someone is named after a saint, that day becomes his or her name day
(Ziua Onomastica or Ziua Numelui) and, traditionally, is celebrated.

Several religious holidays including:
feast of St. George (Sfantul Gheorghe) - April 23,
feast of Sts. Peter & Paul (Sfintii Petru si Paul) - June 29,
feast of St. Mary (Sfanta Maria) - August 15,
feast of St. Michael (Sfantul Mihai) - November 8
and St. Nicholas (Sfantul Nicolae) - December 6,
are observed throughout the year in rural areas.

Ethnic minorities celebrate their own religious and commmunity holidays.