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In Old Times, around the 1st of March but usually on the 24th February, people, especially the young ones, would celebrate Dragobetele - the Romanian Valentine's Day. Corresponding with local traditions, Dragobetele was a beautiful day for young boys & girls and for young men & women as well.

Early in the morning young people would dress up in holiday clothes. If the weather was bad they would get together in one of their houses but if the weather was beautiful they would go out from the

village into the hills. The boys getting wood for the fire and the girls picking spring flowers, which could be used to make love spells.

In some places there was the custom for young girls to collect the water from the unmelted snow or from the strawberry flowers. This water was carefully kept as it had magical powers - they say that it was born from the fairies smile and could make girls more beautiful and loving. If there wasn't any snow or strawberries, they would use normal rain water or water from one of the local springs.

Around the fires on the hills close to villages, girls and boys would talk about many wanted and unwanted subjects,

but mostly they would tell jokes with an erotic theme. As lunchtime approached, the girls would start running back down to the villages. In the south of Romania this running was called "zburatorit".

In line with tradition, each boy chased the girl he liked. If the young man was fast and the girl liked her chaser, a kiss would often take place in front of everyone. These kisses actually meant the engagement of the two, at least for this one year. Many times these kisses turned into real lifelong engagements.

If there was no Dragobetele, they thought that the young ones will not fall in love in the next year. It was a bad sign if a girl or a boy did not meet during Dragobete at least one person of opposite sex. The belief being that for the whole year they will not be loved.

Adults also had their beliefs for Dragobete. Women thought that it was enough to just touch a man, maybe a stranger from another village, and they then would become loving and desirable to men for the whole year! Women also took care of feeding all the animals around the house, as well the birds from sky, as no living creature would be sacrificed on Dragobete Day. It was a day to be thankful for all the small things.

Dragobetele was imagined to be a strong, loving and handsome young man, that could be seen in the woods. Some girls and women even wanted to be punished on Dragobete by working that day. Afterwards they would take the road to the woods, where they "had" to let themselves be loved by the Dragobete.

Even if he "punished" the women, it was considered that the Dragobete protected and gave good luck for all people in love, especially the young. He is considered as the real Romanian Cupid.

The origin of this holiday is tied to the natural cycles of nature, especially to the world of the birds. Not casually, the bird is considered to be one of the oldest divinities of nature and love. Romanians also call the Dragobete holiday, the Birds Fiancé as well, by saying that in this time of year, birds come together and nest. The birds' customs being emulated by us humans too.

As a final thought, lets all make a wish this day
and remember the birds, animals, flowers and
lets all make these Dragobetele holidays the
"Love Holidays".

Dragobetele, the Romanian Valentine's Day

(Many Thanks to Gabriela, * kleineziel *
for her Beautiful Story)