Written by  Matei Timofte from Romania

The Easter (Paștele) is the most important religious holiday in Romania, as the vast majority of Romanians are Orthodox Christians. It celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolizes hope, renewal, and spiritual rebirth. For Romanians, Easter is not only a religious event but also a deeply rooted cultural tradition that brings communities and families together.

The preparation for Easter begins with the Holy Week, a sacred period marked by reflection, fasting, and daily participation in church services called ,,Denii”. These evening services are especially meaningful on Holy Thursday and Good Friday (Vinerea Mare). On Good Friday, many believers observe a strict fast, sometimes abstaining from food the entire day. In the evening, they attend the special service known as the Denia of the Lord’s Burial (Prohodul Domnului), which commemorates the death and burial of Jesus Christ. This moment is filled with deep emotion, prayer, and reverence.

The most important and emotional moment of Easter takes place on Saturday night, during the Resurrection service. Close to midnight, most believers go to church, each carrying a candle. The atmosphere is filled with anticipation and silence.At exactly midnight, the priest comes out of the church holding beautifully decorated lit candles and calls out: “Come and receive the Light!” („Veniți de luați lumină!”). At that moment, everyone tries to approach and light their own candle from the priest’s flame, passing the light from one person to another until the entire place shines.

After a short service of about fifteen minutes, the crowd sings together the hymn “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…” („Hristos a înviat din morți…”). Then, some believers enter the church to attend the Divine Liturgy, while others go home, and some go to the cemetery to light candles at the graves of their loved ones. It is a powerful expression of faith, remembrance, and unity.

The Resurrection service continues into the night and usually ends around 3:00 AM, when the priest blesses the baskets of food brought by the believers. After returning home, people rest for a few hours.

Written by the students: Carla, Leo G., Nel, Valeria, Tomás, & Alex – IES Montevil –  from Spain

Many years ago, the Celts inhabited the north of the Iberian Peninsula, and many strange events they could not explain led them to create what we now know as Asturian mythology. Through these stories, they tried to understand the mysteries of nature and everyday life. One of the most famous mythological beings is the Trasgu , a small house hold goblin blamed whenever food disappeared or important objects went missing. This creature became a symbol of absentmindedness, disorder, and the mysterious loss of necessary items, and although mischievous, it was not considered dangerous.

 Another important figure in Asturian mythology is the Cuélebre, a dragon-like creature with a long, snake-shaped body and wings. According to legend, it demanded a young maiden from the villagers from time to time, threatening to destroy the village if they refused. Its skin was said to be so tough that it could only be killed by feeding it a loaf of bread filled with nails, which harmed it from the inside. This story reflects the fear of natural dangers and the need to find clever solutions to survive.

 The Güestia is one of the most terrifying legends and is traditionally told to children on All Souls’ Night. It describes a procession of eight wandering souls, led by a guide, who visit the houses where someone is about to die. Their purpose is to collect new souls to join their ghostly march. People believed that if someone encountered the Güestia, they had to draw a circle with a cross or a star inside it to protect themselves from being taken.

 The Xanas are also central to Asturian folklore. They are beautiful fairy-like women who live near rivers, springs, and fountains. While the clothes they wash are drying, they sing and dance, showing their elegance and magical nature. Sometimes they are kind and help people with their injuries or illnesses, but they can also be cruel, stealing human babies and replacing them with their own children, known as xaninos. These

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Written by: Marco Giraudi, Andrea Gjuzi, Davide Vescovi II F from Italy

 For us Italians, preparing for Christmas is one of the most important traditions of the year because we dedicate much time and effort to making sure everything is perfect. Not just young people, but everyone, absolutely everyone, cares deeply about Christmas and its traditions.One of the many traditions from the past that we don’t use much today is the belief that pets start talking on the night between the 24th and 25th, and it’s thought that if you hear them you’ll go deaf or even die, which is why many elderly people give their pets an extra dose of food to ensure they sleep peacefully.

Usually on the 24th, during the Christmas dinner, we prepare the dishes that are then eaten the next day with the whole family. Since we are still quite young and our parents don’t want us to use the stove, we set the table or tidy up our house.A few days before, we decorate the tree with our family, but we also build the nativity scene and decorate the house with elves and the front door with a garland that we usually make at school.

Another tradition is Saint Nicholas, whose feast day is December 6th, so the day before, we place a plate with cookies and a cup of milk near the fireplace. Next to it, we leave a carrot for his donkey, because as children, they told us that if he didn’t see anything to eat, he wouldn’t bring us any gifts, especially no sweets.

They also told us to write a little letter, where we chose the gift we had wanted for the whole year. Our parents said that Saint Nicholas would bring it to us only if we made an effort throughout the year.