The melting pot of Romania: a journey through its cultural legacy
As a child, everything seems natural. We observe, learn, and do by default, without any kind of biases. But as we grow, our perspectives narrow, and our roots become more apparent. Our homeland, a piece of this intricate tapestry, is where our journey begins.
In your opinion, what defines a country? Is it its cuisine, its iconic landmarks, or something else?
In theory, I guess, whether it’s food or some spectacular building, all the countries seem to have a unique, famous “feature”. As a Romanian, thinking about Romania, ironically, there isn’t anything that instantly comes to my mind. Yet most of the time I meet people from other countries they name three things they know about Romania: Ceaușescu, Dracula, or Nadia Comaneci. Yet besides people, somehow it feels like a significant part of our culture has derived from other cultures. One thing I know for sure…
This mess of cultures isn’t a recent development
It’s the heart and soul of Romania’s identity. As you delve into the country’s history, you find that it has been a crossroads where different civilizations left their unique imprints. It’s like a puzzle where each piece represents a different culture, fitting together to create the not-so-Western (nor even Central) for the majority, not so Eastern for some, not so Slavic, but not that Latin country since it’s considered the cousin of the Latin countries, right?
The child’s perspective
Being lucky enough to have sailor grandparents, I spent a great time of my childhood with them, sailing along the Danube River and discovering some of the most beautiful regions we have in the country. I am in love with the Southern part of Romania (biased though — I was born and raised there, close to the Serbian border, in a city on the Danube shore). Unsurprisingly I guess, we have a lot of Serbian influence in that region. We have many Serbian customs, we enjoy Serbian cuisine and folk music. Okay, “enjoy” is too soft in this context. People in the South are obsessed with Serbian folk music.
Latin Roots and Orthodox Faith
How did this happen? After the Romans left, Slavic communities moved in, bringing their culture and faith. By the 9th century, the locals had adopted Slavonic liturgy, preserving both orthodoxy and a treasure trove of Slavic words that still grace our vocabulary. Romania, surrounded by Slavic nations, became the only orthodox Latin island, isolated from its siblings. According to Britannica, during Ottoman and Hungarian rule, the Romanian Orthodox Church played a crucial role in preserving the nation’s identity.
Cultural differentiation across the country
Nowhere else have I encountered a country where verb tenses change by region. Take the “simple perfect” tense, for example. It was once used throughout Wallachia but is now mostly confined to the South. This linguistic relic, with roots in Latin, stands out as our most pinpointed regional linguistic feature. It’s also found in Italian: passato semplice, in Spanish: pretérito perfecto, and in French: passé simple. It’s extremely common in literature, yet not commonly accepted and used by the population.
Despite facing countless invasions since Roman times, Romania has held steadfast to its Latin heritage. The name “Romania” itself means “people of Rome.” However, various empires — Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian — left their imprints unevenly across the country since none of them occupied the entire region, the result we see today is cultural differentiation across the country, with each region rendering a different cultural influence. Western regions host a multicultural blend, with strong Hungarian and German influences.
In Timișoara, for example, we have three state theatres: the Romanian National Theatre, the German State Theatre, and the Hungarian State Theatre.
The Transylvanian Saxons (Zipser Germans) are one of the three oldest ethnic German communities within the German diaspora residing in the region since the Middle Ages and maintaining a continuous presence over the centuries. Their native language, Transylvanian Saxon, bears similarities to Luxembourgish.
Each region, from Transylvania’s medieval castles to Bucovina’s religious landmarks, tells a different cultural story.
Cuisine
What we often consider quintessentially Romanian dishes are, in fact, borrowed from foreign lands. Ottoman influences brought beloved dishes like cabbage rolls (sarmale), grilled minced meat rolls (mici), sour soups (ciorba), stuffed peppers, and Turkish delight, which have become integral to Romanian cuisine. This is the most salient part of the Ottoman heritage, which you can still see today. If you’d ask a Romanian to mention a few Romanian dishes, most would mention cabbage rolls (sarmale) or mici.
Among these cultural layers, one thing stands out: the Romanian twisted sense of humor. It’s a trait that likely developed as a coping mechanism during the communist era, a way to find lightness in challenging times. We have a saying, “să faci haz de necaz,” which means “to make fun of a hardship.” It’s a testament to our resilience and ability to find humor even in adversity.
Rediscovering home
In our quest to explore distant horizons, we often overlook the treasures in our own backyard. This article was my opportunity to rediscover every corner, every building, and every detail of my hometown with fresh curiosity. I invite you to embark on a one-day journey in your city, viewing it through the eyes of a tourist.
I’d love to hear about your experience — please share your impressions in the comment section below.
