ROMANIA

 

Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, and the Orthodox church is omnipresent. You will certainly want to visit some churches and monasteries for their beauty and history, but why not take the chance to experience an Orthodox mass? The congregation is usually standing and it is perfectly normal to show up only briefly during the mass so you can come and go at your leisure without disturbing anyone. Show up at any church on Sunday morning, stand quietly in the back and observe. Be suitably dressed, see the section "Respect". Please note that while mass is open to all and visitors are most certainly welcomed, communion (the Eucharist) is normally reserved to those baptized Orthodox (regardless of the denomination). Most often the priest will ask those that are visiting if he or she has been baptized Orthodox before administering the Eucharist. You will experience bible readings, prayers and other rituals accompanied by a short sermon explaining the text. You are not likely to understand much, but you can notice the varying levels of involvement among church-goers, visible in how long and where people stay at the mass, and how often they sign themselves with the cross, or even genuflect. Organized congregation singing is not common but is conducted by a choir with each church-goer joining when he feels like. The choir singing can be captivating, the quality usually reflects the importance of the church. The altar has sections with doors that open and close depending on the church season. You will also see candles sold, they are lit in or by the church in separate trays for the souls of either dead or living people. Try to find out about special holidays and rituals, perhaps the distribution of holy water by the truckload at the baptism of Christ (Boboteaza) or midnight masses at Christmas or Easter (the Orthodox Easter may be off by one week compared to the Western). Weddings are often held on Saturdays, the ritual is very colorful and interesting.

  

Cities:

Abrud, Adjud, Agnita, Aiud, Alba Iulia, Aleșd, Alexandria, Amara, Anina, Aninoasa, Arad, Ardud, Avrig, Azuga, Bârlad, Băbeni, Băicoi, Băile, Govora, Băile Herculane, Olănești, Băilești, Băile Tușnad, Bălan, Bălcești, Băneasa, Babadag, Bacău, Baia de Aramă, Baia de Arieș, Baia Mare, Baia Sprie, Balș, Baraolt, Bechet, Beclean, Beiuș, Berbești, Berești, Bicaz, Bistrița, Blaj, Bocșa, Boldești-Scăeni, Bolintin-Vale, Borșa, Borsec, Botoșani, Brăila, Brad, Bragadiru, Brașov, Breaza, Brezoi, Broșteni, Bucecea, Bucharest, Budești, Buftea, Buhuși, Bumbești-Jiu, Bușteni, Buzău, Buziaș, Câmpeni, Câmpia Turzii, Câmpina, Câmpulung, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Călărași, Călan, Călimănești, Căzănești, Cajvana, Calafat, Caracal, Caransebeș, Carei, Cavnic, Cehu Silvaniei, Cernavodă, Chișineu-Criș, Chitila, Ciacova, Cisnădie, Cluj-Napoca, Codlea, Comănești, Comarnic, Constanța, Copșa Mică, Corabia, Costești, Covasna, Craiova, Cristuru Secuiesc, Cugir, Curtea de Argeș, Curtici, Dăbuleni, Dărmănești, Darabani, Dej, Deta, Deva, Dolhasca, Dorohoi, Drăgănești-Olt, Drăgășani, Dragomirești, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Dumbrăveni, Eforie, Făgăraș, Făget, Fălticeni, Făurei, Fetești, Fieni, Fierbinți-Târg, Filiași, Flămânzi, Focșani, Frasin, Fundulea, Găești, Gătaia, Galați, Geoagiu, Gheorgheni, Gherla, Ghimbav, Giurgiu, Gura Humorului, Hârlău, Hârșova, Hațeg, Horezu, Huedin, Hunedoara, Huși, Însurăței, Întorsura Buzăului, Ianca, Iași, Iernut, Ineu, Isaccea, Jibou, Jimbolia, Lehliu Gară, Lipova, Liteni, Livada, Luduș, Lugoj, Lupeni, Măcin, Măgurele, Mărășești, Mangalia, Marghita, Medgidia, Mediaș, Miercurea Ciuc, Miercurea Nirajului, Miercurea Sibiului, Mihăilești, Milișăuți, Mioveni, Mizil, Moinești, Moldova Nouă, Moreni, Motru, Murfatlar, Murgeni, Nădlac, Năsăud, Năvodari, Negrești, Negrești-Oaș, Negru Vodă, Nehoiu, Novaci, Nucet, Ocna Mureș, Ocna Sibiului, Ocnele Mari, Odobești, Odorheiu Secuiesc, Oltenița, Onești, Oradea, Orăștie, Oravița, Orșova, Oțelu Roșu, Otopeni, Ovidiu, Pâncota, Pătârlagele, Panciu, Pantelimon, Pașcani, Pecica, Petrila, Petroșani, Piatra Neamț, Piatra-Olt, Pitești, Ploiești, Plopeni, Podu Iloaiei, Pogoanele, Popești-Leordeni, Potcoava, Predeal, Pucioasa, Râmnicu Sărat, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Râșnov, Răcari, Rădăuți, Recaș, Reghin, Reșița, Roman, Roșiorii de Vede, Rovinari, Roznov, Rupea, Șimleu Silvaniei, Șomcuta Mare, Ștefănești, Ștefănești, Ștei, Sângeorgiu de Pădure, Sângeorz-Băi, Sânnicolau Mare, Sântana, Săcele, Săcueni, Săliște, Săliștea de Sus, Sărmașu, Săveni, Salcea, Salonta, Satu Mare, Scornicești, Sebeș, Sebiș, Segarcea, Seini, Sfântu Gheorghe, Sibiu, Sighetu Marmației, Sighișoara, Simeria, Sinaia, Siret, Slănic, Slănic Moldova, Slatina, Slobozia, Solca, Sovata, Strehaia, Suceava, Sulina, Țăndărei, Țicleni, Târgoviște, Târgu Bujor, Târgu, Cărbunești, Târgu Frumos, Târgu Jiu, Târgu Lăpuș, Târgu Mureș, Târgu Neamț, Târgu Ocna, Târgu Secuiesc, Târnăveni, Tălmaciu, Tășnad, Tăuții-Măgherăuș, Techirghiol, Tecuci, Teiuș, Timișoara, Tismana, Titu, Toplița, Topoloveni, Tulcea, Turceni, Turda, Turnu Măgurele, Ulmeni, Ungheni, Uricani, Urlați, Urziceni, Vânju Mare, Vălenii de Munte, Valea lui Mihai, Vașcău, Vaslui, Vatra Dornei, Vicovu de Sus, Victoria, Videle, Vișeu de Sus, Vlăhița, Voluntari, Vulcan, Zărnești, Zalău, Zimnicea, Zlatna.