Saturday, December 5, 2009

Mos Nicolae

Today I went to a craft fair at the Peasant's Museum here in Bucuresti.  Artists and artisans from all over Romania came to display and sell their handiwork.  It was fascinating and beautiful.  I brought some of the beauty home with this painting and with beeswax candles to fill the house with the scent of honey.  Noemi and I are prepared to fend off hungry bears because it smells so delicious.



Tomorrow is St. Nicolas's Day so, in the words of Wikipedia...

In Hungary and Romania children typically leave their boots on the windowsill on the evening of December 5. By next morning Nikolaus (Szent Miklós traditionally but more commonly known as Mikulás in Hungary or Moş Nicolae (Sfântul Nicolae) in Romania) leaves candy and gifts if they have been good, or a rod (Hungarian: virgács, Romanian: nuieluşǎ) if they have been bad (most kids end up getting small gifts but also a small rod). In Hungary he is often accompanied by the Krampusz, the frightening helper who is out to take away the bad ones.

Here's what the girls will wake up to tomorrow.  You can't tell, but there are tiny pottery dishes tucked in there for the stuffed animals to have a tea party.