BLESSING THE WATERS IN ROUMANIA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 56

BLESSING THE WATERS IN ROUMANIA.

There is a quaint ceremony of the annual blessing of the waters which may be witnessed in any country where the Greek Church exists. The ceremony occurs during tlie first two months of the year and is always attended with great demonstrations and rejoicings, particularly in Roumania, Russia and Bulgaria. Great preparations are made the day before the ceremony. A route is set apart leading from the church to tlie spot on the quay which has been selected for the ceremony, a carpet of straw being laid down. It- is usually a bitter cold day, but the people are eager and happy. They arrive on foot or in sledges, dressed in the picturesque national attire. All the horses are gayly decorated with worsted favours and tassels.

On the quay a layman is actively engaged in stirring a barrel of water to keep if from freezing. At ten o’clock, heralded by the sound of many brass instruments, the priests leave the church, preceded by a troop of cavalry. With them are borne numbers of religious emblems and banners. The priests chant as they march to the quay, where they go through the speciaL form of blessing the waters of the country. No matter how severe the weather no word of the long service is omitted. The water is distributed among the people, who treasure the few drops which fall to their share as an antidote against the evil eye and other fearsome ills. The straw is eagerly grabbed up after the ceremony to> perform the same office for horses and cattle. Until a few yearn ago it was the custom to cut a hole in the ice of a stream and into this hole a cross was cast. The Roumanian men dived for this and the fortunate man could carry it for three days and collect money.