On Epiphany Eve, the house changes as if without you realizing it. Not through big things, but through a special silence, as if time slows down to make way for order. People know that it is not an ordinary evening, but one where tradition, faith and hope sit at the same table.
The woman of the house spreads the white, clean tablecloth, and under it she puts hay or otava, a sign of abundance and connection to the earth. At each corner of the table they place a lump of salt, so that the coming year will be protected from shortages and troubles. Everything is done in silence, with respect, like an unspoken prayer.
Then, one by one, the table comes to life. There are twelve dishes, as they were of old, as on Christmas Eve. Coliva has its place, next to boiled grain, stewed plums or smoked plums, with a sweet-sour smell that fills the house. The sarmales for Lent, filled with croup, are steaming, and the borscht of “burechiuše” – or “baba’s ears” – reminds of the stories told by the grandmothers, at the mouth of the stove. There is no shortage of fish borscht, fried fish, Lenten pies with sauerkraut and poppy seeds, carefully laid out, as if for a big celebration.
However, no one touches the dishes. The children look at the table with wide eyes, and the adults reassure them: “First comes the priest.” It is an unwritten law, but strictly observed. The whole house is waiting for Jordan, waiting for “Chiralesa”.
When the voices of the children are heard in the street and the steps of the priest approach, the heart trembles. The priest enters, sprinkles the table and the house with Agheasma Mare, and the blessing falls on the food, on the walls, on the people. Only then does the silence break free and the family sits down at the table, with their souls at peace.
Epiphany Eve isn’t just about food, it’s about waiting. About patience, order and the belief that good things come when you know how to wait for them. And that evening, in Romanian homes, the meal not only nourishes the body, but also the soul, preparing it for the great celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. 🙏