Dragobetele kisses the girls

As I wrote before, on February 24, we celebrate Dragobete’s day, Romanian national day of love and friendship!

I wrote about “zburătorit” and about picking snowdrops:

So this time I want to write about customs of this day.

When boys were hugging the girls by surprise, it was supposed to take away their powers, so they said: “Your powers,\In my arms!” or “My fevers,\ On your bones!”. If the hugged girl had something fresh (grass, buds) in his shirt, the incantation had no effect upon her.

In the morning, people used to wear their holiday clothes, wash with spring water with a twig in it and say: “May my soul sprout and become young, like this twig.”

For having a good year, old people used to take care of the birds, including the “sky birds” and maidens used to pinch or walk on foot the boys they liked.

On this day, working is forbidden. It’s said that if you work, you’ll sing like all the birds. If you work the land, you’ll get sick of fevers.

All persons have to celebrate each year Dragobete’s day or else they will not be loved or love the whole year.

Girls used to wake up early in the morning, before the sunrise, and release the birds from their coops hopping that they will find their soul mate as fast as the birds.

It is good to clean the house so the good luck will come.

Everyone must have a mate in this day or else it will be a lonely year.

Dragobete is like a phantasm that comes out by stealth and kisses the girls so they will have good luck and to get married, that’s why on this day you may hear in all villages: “Dragobetele kisses the girls!”