May Day was also known as Wormwood Day or May Tree. It was the feast of Armindeni. Tradition says that now green branches are placed at the gates, for luck and abundance. Wormwood is also placed on the table, along with cutlery and between bedding and clothing to ward off evil spirits.
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right wikipedia.orgArmindeni is popularly known as wormwood day, or drunken day. It is a popular holiday, with a fixed date of May 1st.
This date is considered the beginning of summer, and the holiday was held for the fruits of the earth and to avoid natural disasters such as hail or drought.
May 1 – Arminden, a pagan holiday
Arminden is actually a deity of vegetation, so the holiday has pagan origins. It is customary on this day to put a tree or a green twig at the gate, door or windows of houses.
It is also called the feast of Jeremiah, from the ancient Slavic Jeremiah nidini (the day of Jeremiah).
In the rural tradition, the arminden was a tree cleaned of branches and adorned with ears of wheat:
“The young people went to the forest, to the mountains and cut down the tallest tree (fir or beech), which they could carry on their shoulders. They cleaned it of branches, but left a few at the top, which they adorned.
Arminden was up in the center of the village until noon. Wreaths of wheat and ears of wheat were placed on the stalk. There was a competition of young people who gathered and sometimes placed bets, winning the one who could climb to the top.
This morning, the pillars of the gates and houses are adorned with green branches, as well as the entrances to the cattle shelters, so that people and animals alike can be protected from the destructive forces of evil spirits.
May Day Superstitions – Arminden
It is said that on the eve of this day, so that the heat and hail do not fall on the village, the women do not work in the house or in the field. In the villages of Banat, Arminden is placed in the homes of hardworking people and bridesmaids. The young branch puts the green branch at night, without being seen. Those at Arminden’s house must look for the boys who put him in and give them a drink, ”transmits crestinortodox.ro.
On the Saturday before Arminden, someone from each family left to bring a young birch and lime-leafed branches.
At dawn, long before sunrise, when the morning star was barely rising and the dew was not dazzled by the light, each householder would put the birch at the gate and linden branches at the eaves of the house and the barn.
Then they decorated the inside of the house with jasmine and linden flowers. ”- Calendar, 1980, p. 82
Feast for the fruit of the earth and drive away hail
“Arminden” is a symbol of vegetation that protects crops and animals. Arminden is celebrated for the fruit of the earth, so that it does not strike hail, against pests, for the health of cattle, good wine, healthy people, through parties on green grass, where lamb and curd are eaten and red wine with wormwood is drunk.
In the morning, people wash themselves with dew (health). Now green branches are being put on the gates, for good luck and abundance. In girls’ houses, birch seedlings are placed in front of the gate.
The green branch or a cleaned tree, placed on May 1 in front of the house, is left until the harvest, when it is put in the fire with which the bread from the new wheat is baked. The pillars of the gates and houses are adorned with green branches, as well as the entrances to the cattle shelters, so that people and animals alike may be protected from the destructive forces of evil spirits.
It is said that on the eve of this day, so that the heat and hail do not fall on the village, the women do not work in the house or in the field.
In some areas, the green branch was placed by the boys at night, without being seen. Those at Arminden’s house had to look for the boys who put him in and give them a drink.
On this day, the “day of the oxen” was also celebrated. They were not used in field work to protect them from disease.
The custom is reminiscent of the persecution of Jesus
Arminden also mentions the persecution of Jesus, believing that when Herod killed the children, he put a green branch at the gate where the slaughter would begin the next day. But the next day green branches appeared on all the houses, and Herod did not know where to look for Jesus.
The legend of Armiden
The Jews, led by King Herod, set out to kill the baby Jesus Christ. But they could not find Him. And they went through the midst of them, and found them not.
Then, because they were few and far between and the faithful did not beat them, they put a green branch in front of the house as a sign. In the morning they came with the soldiers to kill the baby Jesus.
When they searched for the sign left, they saw the same sign on all the houses and could not find the house. All the houses looked festive, beautifully adorned with green branches. In memory of this miracle, Christians have made it a custom to put a green oak, beech or linden branch in front of the house on May 1.
Arminden is left in front of the house until the new wheat is ground. And when the bread is made for the first time, Arminden is cut and the oven is lit with it. (processing by Marcel Olinescu)
Popular traditions of Armideni
On the evening of St. George, the young men from the villages gathered and went together into the forest, to choose the tree suitable for the next day’s celebration – Armidenia. From the forest came a tall reed, with green branches at the top, or even a whole tree.
It was cleaned up to the top of the branches and adorned with wreaths and ears of wheat, then planted in people’s backyards, in the middle of the sheepfolds, and in some areas, the decorated rod was beaten in the house.
The corners of the house were decorated with green branches, the doors of the stables for the protection of the animals.
Arminden wood is made when the first bread made from new wheat flour is baked.
The villagers spent the day on the green grass, so that they could enjoy it all year round.
Drunkards’ day
Until a few years ago, on May 1, Labor Day was celebrated with pomp and communist propaganda marches.
But this day was celebrated among the people long before communism, as the day of drunkenness. On this day, people went out and celebrated in the field, partying, drinking red wine, but not a drop of white.
The red wine was mixed with green wormwood, and it is considered that the blood changes on this day. In other areas, drink red wine by the end of May or… until the wine runs out.
Women and girls honor this day together. They bought wine on the silver money around their necks, which they hung on the 1st martisor to be beautiful. It was said that women who did not buy wine on their necks would be ugly all year round.
sources: crestinortodox.ro, wikipedia.org
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