August 31, 2026: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day

Each year, August 31^st shines a special spotlight on Romanian culture, as it marks the Romanian Language Day – occasion which offers Romanians (in the country and around the world) a new opportunity to honor their linguistic root, while they illustrate the richness and the importance of their mother tongue.

At this point of my exposé, it is important to emphasize that Romania holds a unique cultural and historical identity, deeply intertwined with its language as this (the official language of the country) is a profound symbol of national unity and heritage.

For many Romanians, the maternal language represents also a strong connection with their ancestors, reflecting long centuries of tradition and resilience, preserving the collective memory, and acting at the same time as a vessel of cultural expression, literature and folklore. The significance of the Romanian language extends way beyond communication…it embodies the spirit and the continuity of the Romanian people throughout history and into the present days.

For many Romanians, the Romanian Language Day becomes more than just a holiday;

it is an annual testament of the resilience and vibrancy of one of Europe’s oldest & distinctive Romance tongues.

La  mulţi ani tuturor vorbitorilor de limbă română!

Omagiu Limbii Române – simbol al identității și demnității noastre, patrimoniu spiritual care ne unește din generație în generație.

Limba română este puntea dintre trecut și viitor, dintre oameni și comunități, dintre cei de aici și românii de pretutindeni.

Este comoara ce poartă în ea istorie, cultură și sperață.

”Începând din anul 2011, în ultima zi a lui Gustar, sărbătorim Ziua Limbii Române, una dintre cele 24 de limbi oficiale ale Uniunii Europene. Este o zi în care nu sărbătorim doar un mijloc de comunicare, ci identitatea, memoria și sufletul unui popor.

Cântată de poeți din vremuri diferite, limba română a străbătut istoria cu demnitate, purtând în ea dorul, doina, rugăciunea, cântecul, bucuriile și durerile noastre.

Nichita Stănescu o numea ’patria mea’, Emil Cioran spunea că ’nu locuiești într-o țară, ci într-o limbă’, iar Mihai Eminescu îi vedea bogăția ca pe o ’adevărată împărăție’. Grigore Vieru mergea și mai departe, spunând că întreaga natură a ostenit la zidirea ei.

Lucian Blaga, îndrăgostit de puterea creatoare a cuvântului românesc, ne-a lăsat o metaforă care spune aproape totul: ’limba este întâiul mare poem al unui popor.’

Și poate că acesta este marele nostru privilegiu: să rostim în fiecare zi un poem milenar, moștenit de la cei de dinaintea noastră. Avem datoria să-l păstrăm viu pentru cei ce vor veni. Cât de simplu și cât de adânc poate fi spus un adevăr: limba ne leagă de cei care au fost, ne definește pe cei care suntem și ne încredințează o moștenire pe care trebuie să o ducem mai departe.”

● Historic background info (extracts):

Romanian Language is mother tongue of around 30 million individuals, taught as a foreign language in universities, in 45 countries.

Ø  Romanian Language Day is “celebrated nationally on August 31, starting from the year 2013 when the law establishing this holiday was enacted. The programs and cultural-educational events, with evocative or scientific characteristics, dedicated to this day emphasize the importance of the Romanian language not only as a means of communication but also as a repository of history, culture, and national identity”.

     (Source: Business Reviews News)

Ø  Romanian Language Day (Romanian: “Ziua Limbii Române”) is celebrated annually on August 31 to honor the Romanian language, its culture and heritage. It was first officially proposed in Romania in 2011, and the law establishing it was promulgated in 2013.

     The holiday celebrates Romanian as a Romance language, related to French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

      Romanian Language Day (each year, on August 31) is marked with public and cultural events, promotes linguistic heritage and fosters international recognition of the Romanian language and culture.

      Extra officially, Romanian communities worldwide celebrate the holiday to maintain cultural ties, preserve national identity through language, and engage diaspora population in literary and educational projects.  The holiday encourages linguistic pride and promotes intergenerational connection through shared cultural practices.

      (Source: Agerpress)

● My previous greetings on the same theme: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day – 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 3 of 3)

~ from the EDUCATIONAL SERIES of our Circle’s events ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part 3 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

I’m glad to share with you that on Thursday (August 27’26) I managed to organize the third part (which is also the last) of our hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 

As I’ve mentioned before in several different circumstances, for me it was truly enjoyable and rewarding in many ways to witness the genuine enthusiasm, the engagement and the many thoughtful questions posed by participants along the way (during the 3 sessions of our seminar)! 
The experience in itself allowed us to explore the rich history, the ancient artistry and the cultural significance of the Romanian embroidery, while learning lots of techniques that our ancestors used for centuries, before us. In many ways it felt like travelling back in time! Definitively, something rare, authentic and precious!  

From me, once again, many thanks to all for answering my call and especially to Ms. Lucreția for sharing with all of us her extensive background in this field!
Without any doubt, the Romanian embroidery remains a living testament to cultural resilience, illustrating how art, tradition and symbolism could harmoniously intertwine in order to preserve and celebrate the essence of our people and their stories across generations.

Wrapping up my briefing on this, I would like to say that this very specific Romanian traditional embroidery shouldn’t be necessarily perceived as something nostalgic, but rather as an informed action in response to the homogenizing pressure of consumerism because it cultivates literacy, sustainability and human creativity in an era of mechanized and impersonal production.

In a society driven by speed, instant gratification and visual overstimulation, the traditional Romanian embroidery represents slowness, intention and presence.

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

NOTES:

● For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● To facilitate additional reference, here are the previous reviews of our series – part 1 of 3 & part 2 of 3. 

Philosophers’ Café with ALICE & Friends: Summer 2026

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 2 of 3)

~ from the EDUCATIONAL SERIES of our Circle’s events ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part  2 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

With much delight I’m sharing that on Thursday (August 20’26) I organized the second part of our hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 
This time we all were pleased to be invited at Ms. Cioată’s private residence, where surrounded by nature and warm Romanian hospitality we could continue with much passion our work. Discussing patterns, analysing traditional symbols, exploring complex ancient motifs, comparing stiches techniques and thread types (from a practical perspective), brought even more breath and depth to our seminar.

While at this point, I would like to emphasize that this very specific Romanian embroidery (perceived as “manual art”) it is far more than a simple decorative art; it is a vivid testament of our homeland history, cultural identity and social narrative because it is deeply rooted in our folklore and rural traditions. The beauty of this old craft is that each stitch, each motif and each color choice convey a symbolic meaning by narrating special stories of life, nature and spirituality.

Regarding our time together during this session: it goes without saying that we all truly cherished the pleasing ambiance, being captivated by special moments of creativity and artistry in a such cozy and inspiring setting.
With much joy, both Ms. Lucreția and I will be looking forward to the next part of this series (which is also the last session)!

Until next time, dear ones, from me, only the best

Alice

In essence, this type of Romanian traditional embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse) reminds society that value is not solely measured by efficiency or mass appeal, but also by skill and intentionality; threads of memory woven across generations, contained within each simple stitch!

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

NOTES:

● For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● To facilitate additional reference, here is the previous review – part 1 of 3 of our series. 

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 1 of 3)

~ from the EDUCATIONAL SERIES of our Circle’s events ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part 1 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

Following up on the artisanal Romanian mini-workshop I initiated during “Ziua Iei 2026” celebration (aka: “The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse 2026”) and responding to the interest expressed directly to me by several friends of our socio-cultural community, I am delighted to share that on Thursday (August 13’26), on a very beautiful and peaceful summer day around here, I organized for the friends of our Circle the first part (part 1 of 3) of a hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 
This class was offered exclusively to the friends of our literary and socio-cultural Circle (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members), and each participant was offered a starter kit, as a base to commence the learning process.

This traditional Romanian embroidery of a recognizable value, perceived as a distinct “manual art”, it is a centuries-old hand-made artistry, 
gracefully encompassing our ancient cultural heritage and a skillful handcraft. Truly beautiful! 

Needless to say that we all enjoyed wonderful moments of art and creativity in a warm atmosphere, where every thread came to life, telling us timeless stories. 
Both, Ms. Lucreția and I had a blast weaving beautiful memories together with our friends, and with much anticipation we are looking forward to the next session (part 2 of 3) of this workshop, which belongs to the educational serries of events of our Circle. 

Until then, from me, only the best!

Alice

Hand-sewing traditional Romanian embroideries promote cultural literacy, informed sustainable practices, intergenerational memory and reflective engagement – all embedded in a simple and humble stitch!

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

● NOTE: For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● A nice acknowledgement...

Summer vibes of 2026

This year, the ongoing summer in our part of the world brought along a large variety of experiences, nicely harmonized with an interesting mix of sights, sounds and emotions. The beautiful weather and the long sunny days are allowing to deeply enjoy the amazing beaches of our beautiful city, Vancouver – a place which feels, at times, like a huge canvas painted with warmth, hints of the ocean breeze and vibrant energy. At large, the surrounding nature generously keeps spoiling us with its splendid abundance of greenery, rejuvenating fragrances of the countless flours, grace, elegance and above all, with a profound sense of peace!

Without any doubt, each summer day is worth savoring!

Socializing: Picnic 2026 & Our Chamber Choir Launch

With much delight I’m sharing here that on Friday (July 24’26) I organized the annual summer picnic of my Circle, event which brought together a nice group of dear friends (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members) for an engaging evening of music, dance, shared memories, enjoyment and community spirit.

The highlight of this social event was the launching of VOCAL ART – The Chamber Choir of ALICE & Friends Circle™.

On this occasion, it was profoundly significant for each of us to have our chamber choir’s inaugural performance taking place at an event I organized for my Circle.

Bringing together emerging talents, amateur artists and music professionals, our choir aims to present inspirational choral music across the realm, to create a cultural experience that resonates with audiences of all ages, and to explore a wide repertoire, ranging from timeless classical masterpieces, Byzantine and Baroque florilegia to contemporary choral works.

Our first mini-concert was featuring pieces by Romanian composers. In the foreseeable future, we will deliver both public concerts and bespoke performances to special events, while featuring the beauty and the extensive versatility of choral music. Beyond artistic performance, our choir’s launch signals a clear emphasis on musical art and cultural dialogue. 

Over the last 8 years of existence of our socio-cultural Circle, amongst other events of our Circle, the annual summer picnic of ALICE & Friends Circle™ has become a truly cherished tradition, each time providing excellent opportunities to strengthen community ties, while enjoying the fantastic scenic outdoors of our beautiful Vancouver – this time featuring, the one and the only, Granville Island.

Additionally, invited by Alice to offer a dancing demonstration as part of the event, our old friend Sandu Oprea presented several (dancing) styles for everybody to join. Needless to say how much fun the engaging experience it was for all guests! 

This complimentary event was open to the public, expressing interest proactively – enthusiasts were asked to RSVP via email before the specified due date.

The purpose of this gathering was to create an inclusivist ambiance, meant to strengthen culture, diversity and shared experiences.

Overall, this summer picnic of our Circle was a successful combination of cultural appreciation, leisure and fine gastronomy, leaving all participants with lasting memories of a nice sunny day well spent!

Until our paths will meet again on the same wavelength, from me only the best!

Alice

● For your convenience here is the Press Release  for the launching of  VOCAL ART – The Chamber Choir of ALICE & Friends Circle™

● For your convenience here is the Press Release  for this event – the annual summer picnic of ALICE & Friends Circle™