June 24, 2022: Celebrating the ROMANIAN BLOUSE Day

Romanian Literary & Socio-Cultural evening with ALICE & Friends Circle™ featuring our ancestral folklore

Romanian ethnography - old traditions, popular dances, legends & timeless wisdom

On Friday (June 24, 2022) we had a fabulous summer weather, and I was able to organize the Romanian Blouse Day, in a public park in Vancouver, by the side of the Pacific Ocean. This was the first warm day of the season, perceived by many as a beautiful blessing in itself given that up to the day before we had an unusually cold, wet and windy climate (in a way it felt that on June 24^th we all jumped from booths straight into sandals). 
At our group celebration that evening having above us a splendid blue sky, bathing in the warm rays of the sun and being touched by the gentle breeze of the Pacific Ocean was more than we could ask for...our hearts were filled with sincere gratitude!

Also, I would like to mention that after such a prolonged social austerity in our region, this was the first ‘in person’ / outdoor event of the year at our Circle ... needless to say that we all were so happy to reunite, appreciating more than ever the spirit of togetherness.

On the other hand, as you all might know, The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse (Rom: "Ziua iei"), each year on June 24^th, has become a global event celebrated on six continents, 55 countries, 130 cities, with lots of gatherings throughout the world organized by Romanians who are proud of their ancestral heritage…in my opinion, this is a noble effort that has contributed decisively to the rebirth and a refreshed interest in our traditional Romanian culture. The Romanian blouse, "ie" by its original Romanian name, is not a simple traditional peasant blouse, but it became a symbol of Romania, with its legends, stories & significance. 

For the members of ALICE & Friends Circle™ this was a marvelous occasion, which allowed us to join the movement with national pride and honest appreciation for our ancient roots.

Aside of that, June 24 marks the Midsummer Day – “Sânzienele” in Romanian folk beliefs.
For your reference, a brief traditional legend (about “Sânziene”) is published in comments section.

At our gathering that evening, at the welcoming table my guests were greeted with a large tray of hands sanitizers (as the safety protocol was closely observed) and another large tray with several distinctive gifts I specially prepared for them (I offered each lady a manually crafted head flower garland and to each gentleman a “tricolor” bracelet)…I was so happy that my gesture brought them so much joy!

After we all settled in and my opening remarks were delivered, I presented a concise summary about the cultural significance of the Romanian blouse (which is our traditional “ie”) and its uninterrupted existence over centuries.

Next, our dear friend Dorina read us a very nice poem, relating to the theme, which is published in comments section.

Then our friend Sandu had the floor introducing the group several old Romanian folk dances.

Once that beautiful music began, we all caught the momentum and slipped on the wings of music. Being outside, in a public place, lots of people were stopping by to watch us dancing, visibly attracted by the magnetic beat of those musical notes, while taking lots of pictures with us….we didn’t mind that at all and we freely continued with our dance. It was nice, it was sunny, it was joyful and we all were very happy.

• Here is the video clip with all of us playing an old Romanian dance, called “Hora Moroşenească”.
        For your reference, here is a short description of what is the Romanian “Hora”: 

Excerpt: “….’Hora’ is the oldest and most widespread Romanian folk dance. Passed down from generation to generation, the dance is played by women and men alike, in a large circle, holding hands. Steps are simple, back and forth, sometimes combined with a lateral movement. The pace is right and anyone can play it.

The Romanian popular culture offers the opportunity to observe the genesis and evolution of spiritual values. Therefore, the circularity of the ‘hora’ reminds us that the circle, as a cosmic formula, is a closed universe. The first mention of the ‘hora’ was made by the chronicler Dimitrie Cantemir in his book ‘Descriptio Moldaviae’, in 1716. This happened almost around the time when the first description of folk music was made, respectively fiddlers. It dates from 1688 and appears in the ‘Bucharest Bible’, written by Serban Cantacuzino.

The ‘hora’ can be named according to the place where it comes from (like ‘Hora de la Orhei’, or ‘Hora Moroşenească’) or it can be named after a person or an event (in whose honor it is performed, like ‘Hora miresei’ or ‘Hora nunţii’, et.)…”. (Fragment source: The Romanian Government website)

Additionally, here is another video clip with us dancing “Braşoveanca”
(this is very well known traditional Romanian dance that has its origins in Transylvania).

We ended our dancing program with another “hora” (dancing in a circle)…all in one made it for a really, really nice and unifying experience!

Dancing together the Romanian “hora” on that fresh green grass, abundantly sprinkled with pretty lawn daisies seemed to be like a passage descending straight from an old traditional legend of our homeland! It was surreally beautiful…a beauty that went straight to our hearts!

Further, we all enjoyed a rich selection of delicious foods (many of them separately wrapped and others cooked by deli stores), which ignited pleasant conversations around the table and extended a type of socialization we all dearly missed.

The time we spent together that special evening was relaxing & impressive in every way, making us realize that in fact we were creating new splendid memories!

Now, as I write this briefing for you, I am deeply touched recognizing that certain heartwarming moments would be simply unforgettable, and once again I would like to thank my guests for their companionship, ongoing support, loyalty and above all, for their beautiful friendship!

Until our paths will meet again on this wavelength, I’m sending along a new bunch of best wishes to each for a wonderful rest of the season!

With sincere appreciation,

Alice 🌻

You have to experience a given culture in order to fully understand it!

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

Message gratefully received from “OBSERVATORUL”, from Toronto

Please use the automated translator installed at the bottom of the page to translate this message into any language you wish…thank you!

(In Romanian Language)

"Bun găsit!
Mulţumim pentru gândurile bune pe care le primim cu bucurie.
O altă frumoasă iniţiativă a grupului ALICE & Friends™
Felicitări pentru organizare şi mobilizare!
Publicat cu plăcere articolul d-voastră.
Sănătate şi numai bine pentru întreaga familie şi pentru prietenii care vă sunt aproape în toate cele.
Cu prietenie,
Puiu Popescu”

● ARTICLE featuring our event on June 24, 2022, published by OBSERVATORUL (from Toronto)

A previous event I organized on the same theme: The ROMANIAN BLOUSE Day – 2021

Some of my additional greetings referring to the same theme: The ROMANIAN BLOUSE Day – 2022, 2021, 2020

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

June 24, 2022 – Universal Day of the ROMANIAN BLOUSE

Many Romanians throughout the entire world proudly celebrate each year on June 24^th the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, occasion which allows us to emphasize its anthropological significance, as well as different traditional manifestations meant to further spread the richness of our cultural heritage. 

June 24 marks also the Midsummer Day – known as “Sânzienele” in Romanian folk beliefs.

My best regards to all who observe this occasion & continuously promote the Romanian identity outfit – “ia”!

● My previous greetings on the same theme: The Universal Day of the ROMANIAN BLOUSE – 2021, 2020

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

June 21, 2022: SUMMER solstice

Hello, SUMMER! June 21^st marks the first day of summertime in our Northern Hemisphere. Everything is flourishing around us, and with much anticipation, we will observe all what nature has to offer as the new season unfolds…lots of different flowers are always blooming, offering a large display of bright colors and everyone could feel their amazing fragrances in the air. Enjoy this marvelous time of the year, dear friends!

● My previous greetings on the same theme: SUMMER Solstice – 2021, 2020, 2019

June 19, 2022: Happy FATHER’s Day!

The first person who taught you how to ride a bike, to play chess or the one who strictly waited for you after those late-night parties…your father!

Our fathers play a special role in our life and they deserve every source of happiness.
May we celebrate this day in order to honor our dads, their contribution and the role they have! Happy Father’s Day!

● My previous greetings on the same theme: FATHER's Day – 2021, 2020, 2019

Believe in HAPPINESS

How many times have you told yourself, “I just want to be happy?” There is a plethora of research about the science of happiness, and results conclude that each one of us can work towards the goal of happiness. To further emphasize this point, here is a short, life-inspired, tale:

The story

There were 200 people attending a seminar. At one point, the speaker told the group they were going to do an activity. He gave each attendee one balloon and told them to write their name on it. Then, the balloons were collected and moved into a very small room.

The participants were then asked to go into the other room and were given 2 minutes to find their balloon. It was chaos. People were searching frantically for their balloon, pushing each other and running into one another while they grabbed a balloon, looked at it, and inevitably tossed it to the side. At the end of the 2 minutes, no one had found the balloon that had their name on it.

Then, the speaker asked the participants to go back in the room and pick up one balloon at random, look at the name, and return it to its owner. Within minutes, everyone had been reunited with their original balloon. The speaker then told the group, “This is what it’s like when people are frantically searching for their own happiness in life. People push others aside to get the things that they want that they believe will bring them happiness. However, our happiness actually lies in helping other people and working together as a community.”

The Moral: You will get your happiness if you help other people find theirs. It is believed that if you want to be happy, you would need to practice compassion. Helping others makes us happy because it gives us a sense of purpose.

In fact, a study from the London School of Economics found that the more you help other people, the happier you will be. The researchers compared the variance in happiness levels of people who don’t help others on a regular basis to the happiness of weekly volunteers. They found that the active participants (those who help others) had the same variance in happiness as those who make $75,000 – $100,000 annually vs $20,000 (these being the ones who don't help anyone).

Helping others brings us happiness for three reasons:

1) Diversion: When you worry less about your own needs–in this case, finding your own balloon–the stress of that hunt decreases. Taking your focus away from the fact that you can’t find your own balloon lets you divert your attention away from your own problem. The feeling of compassion replaces the feeling of need.

2) Perspective: Having concern for other people helps us remember that we are all facing similar problems in life, no matter what the individual severity of the issue is. Sometimes when we are focused on our own issues, they get put into perspective when we encounter the true suffering of others (for example, a severe disability). It’s easy to then realize the excess amount of attention we’ve been giving our own problems. Having compassion helps us put our problems into perspective.

3) Connection:  Connecting with others by helping them could bring happiness into your life. Humans are social beings that need to have positive connections with other people in order to be happy. Connecting with other people enriches our lives and gives us a sense of fulfillment.

Interesting, isn't it? My wish is for everyone to seek and find happiness at some point in their life (if they haven't yet), as the option is out there...benefit from it!

If you are willing to help other people to find their happiness, this will bring a lot of happiness to you too…believe it!

NATURE – the best “healer”

It has been stated by so many people that nature in itself is healing in every way!

Consider the following….walking through the forest, smelling the scent of a beautiful flower, filling the lungs with fresh air after a summer rain, admiring a rainbow, marvel at the force of a thunderstorm, feeling the fresh green grass under your foot, cherish the vibrant beauty of a sunset and the sound of the ocean waves, wonder at the innumerable stars of the sky while resting after a long hike on the mountains trails, and so on….yes…all these are natural ways of…healing.

The simple question is though: how often do we do one of these things?

The common argument is that we don't have time. But who said that time passes? Time does not pass. We pass.

Life is full of beauty, which we do not take into account. It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you feel that you do not have "beautiful eyes" then stop for a moment, open your eyes as wide as you can, and ….start seeing!
Start by looking up, then look inside you, and then…look outside, around and on front of you…you will be amazed!

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature….it will never fail you!

June 1, 2022 – INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN's Day

On the first day of summer, June 1, the world celebrates International Children’s Day. This holiday was established by the decision of the Congress of the International Democratic Women’s Federation in November 1949, and began to be celebrated since 1950. According to the established tradition, various events dedicated to the protection of children are held in many countries, as well as various fund raising & charitable activities.

So, on this day (International Children’s Day), may we all be reminded that every child deserves a better future, build on Peace – Love – Respect – Freedom.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN's Day – 2021,  2020, 2019