January 24’22: Union of the Romanian Principalities

An old page of Romanian history: The Little Union of the Romanian Principalities

Each year, on January 24^th Romanians celebrate the Unification Day, which is the day when the Romanian Principalities united in a single national state, under the rule of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who was the initiator of several reforms that set the basis of modern Romania.

On such occasion, in Bucharest (the capital city of Romania) and in almost all major cities of the country, many military parades and ceremonies are organized, festive flower wreaths are deposited at the monuments of our national heroes, and people united in the traditional circle dance, called “Unity Hora” (Romanian: “Hora Unirii”). Most of the ceremonies in Bucharest take place on the Patriarchal Hill (the place where in 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected are Ruler of Romania).

At this moment, I wish all Romanians to continue to strive
to live in harmony with each other!

● Documentaries: "24 ianuarie 1859 - Nașterea statului Român modern"  | "Lecţia de istorie - Unirea de la 1859"

● An old Romanian song featuring this historic moment: "Cobora cerul pe ape"
● A previous post on the same theme: The LITTLE UNION Day – 2021

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). 

January 2022: Eminescu & Romania’s Culture Day

Annual celebration dedicated to:

The Day of January 15, 2022 – the anniversary of Mihai Eminescu & Romania's National Culture Day

Reference to January 24, 2022 – Little Union of the Romanian Principalities

On Saturday (January 15, 2022) I was able to organize the annual Mihai Eminescu Day, emphasizing Romania’s National Culture Day. Unlike the years before, this time the historic date of January 24^th has been included into the evening’s agenda as well. 
Given the extensive ongoing pandemic related restrictions and rigorous lockdowns for social activities, for safety reasons, the ‘on-line’ format was chosen again.

At this reunion, Hon. Grecea was invited (Dr. Grecea is Consul General, the head of Romanian Diplomatic Mission in Vancouver & Plenipotentiary Minister of Romania in Canada).

This time I began the evening with 2 short video clips: My first VIDEO-CLIP is highlighting Mihai Eminescu and Romania’s National Culture Day.  Romania’s National Culture Day has been celebrated for the first time on January 15th, 2011, and since then, the birthday of the poet Mihai Eminescu (January 15, 1850) has also been the day when culture as a whole is celebrated in this country. "On the National Culture Day, we recognize the role of the Romanian cultural personalities in the modernization and democratization of Romania, in getting in line with the European values. The exemplary involvement of thinkers, artists, promoters and founders of cultural institutions in asserting the identity, statehood and national unity of Romania will remain inscribed in capital letters in the chronicles.”

My second VIDEO-CLIP is briefly about The Day of the Unification of the Romanian Principalities (Romanian: "Ziua Unirii Principatelor Române", ori "Ziua Micii Uniri"), each year celebrated on January 24, in order to commemorate the unification of the Romanian Principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia), also known (unofficially) as the "Little Union" (on 24 January 1859 under prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza).

Then the program continue with Hon. Grecea’s speech, which was long and filled with lots of personal remarks, amongst other things stressing Eminescu’s geniality as well as the importance of unity.

This time I was happy to have with us straight from Romania, the author Luniniţa Aldea, whose speech was concise, interesting and to the point. Writer Aldea has such a warm and pleasant personality, always polite and respectful and it is a joy to have her around. Also, at this time our dear friend Luminiţa, reminded us about Mihail Kogălniceanu's speech when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of Moldavia, on January 5, 1859.

Next, the other guests of the evening shared their perspectives about Eminescu, about culture, about the Romanian history, about current times & personal memories.

Our dear friend Dorina, nicely penciled Mihail Kogălniceanu, who was the Prime Minister of Romania (Oct.11, 1863-January 26, 1865), under Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Kogălniceanu was also a lawyer, historian, publicist and one of the most influential Romanian intellectuals of his generation.

Also, since today we are celebrating Romanian Culture’s Day, here are few additional names who honored the Romanian Culture over time:
● Ion Luca Caragiale – was a Romanian playwright, short story writer, poet, theater manager, political commentator and journalist. Leaving behind an important cultural legacy, he is considered one of the greatest playwrights in Romanian language and literature, as well as one of its most important writers and a leading representative of local humour 
● Ion Creangă – he was one of the main representatives of Junimea, an influential literary society with which he nonetheless parted during the second half of his life. His work, spanning 4 decades, covers the ground between Neoclassicism, Realism, & Naturalism, building on an original synthesis of foreign & local influences
● Lucian Blaga – who was a Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist

● George Călinescu – who was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romanian literary critics of all time, alongside Titu Maiorescu and Eugen Lovinescu, and is one of the outstanding figures of Romanian literature in the 20^th century
● Vasile Alecsandri – who was a Romanian poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Romanian Principalities, writing "Hora Unirii" in 1856 and giving up his candidacy for the title of prince of Moldavia, in favor of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He became the first minister of foreign affairs of Romania and was one of the founding members of the Romanian Academy. Alecsandri was a prolific writer, contributing to Romanian literature with poetry, prose, several plays, and collections of Romanian folklore, being considered, alongside Mihai Eminescu, which admired and was inspired by the writings of Alecsandri, as one of the most important Romanian writers in the second half of the 19th century
● Constantin Brâncuși –  was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. He is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20^th century and a pioneer of modernism
● Ștefan Luchian  – was a Romanian painter, famous for his landscapes and still life works
● Nicolae Grigorescu – who was one of the founders of modern Romanian painting. Having studied at École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he had contact with Pierre-Auguste Renoir, after which he left Paris to join the Barbizon school, where he adopted the „en plein art” way of painting. Several of his works were featured, among others, at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris. For most of his last decades, Grigorescu spend time either painting in Paris or, especially after 1890, in Câmpina, where he started his famous series of pastorales. He was named honorary member of the Romanian Academy in 1899
● Ion Andreescu – who was a Romanian painter of great renown, considered of the founders of modern Romanian painting. Influenced by Nicolae Grigorescu, he left Romania for Paris to further his education. He began attending the private arts school Académie Julian and at the same time he was accepted at Salon, Paris, where he exposed two paintings, "Start of Spring" and "The Fair in Romania". He then moved to Barbizon, he mastered plein-air painting. Here he worked alongside artists such as Nicolae Grigorescu, Corot, Millet, and Monet
● Alexandru Djuvara – who was a Romanian writer, journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania 1909-1910)
● Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga (since she has been mentioned several times during our gathering) – she was a Romanian comparatist and essayist. A native of the national capital Bucharest, she was educated at its main university, going on to become a professor there. Together with a focus on interdisciplinary studies, she was noted for devoting several studies to Mihail Eminescu. Meanwhile, Dumitrescu was a dignitary of the Romanian Communist Party. Following the Romanian Revolution, after several years spent in Rome, she retired to a monastery.

Now, briefly talking about culture…what is this culture that everybody is always talking about? How is this culture shaping our every day’s life?

According to definition, culture is “an umbrella term which encompasses the social behaviour and norms found in human societies, as well as knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities and habits of the individuals in these groups.” No matter where someone is born, we each are part of a particular culture. More often than not we are intrigued by other cultures, and each culture is an integral determinant of who we are as individuals. So, what exactly is it then? Simply put, culture is the unique characteristics of a group of people. Culture is made up of many elements, some more obvious than others. Culture is the clothes we wear, the language we speak, the food we eat. Culture is our customs, our beliefs, and our values; it is part and parcel of our religious beliefs, superstitions, philosophy and mythology. 
Culture determines what is acceptable and unacceptable in any society. Social norms are borne out of culture. It is manifested through our art, music, dance, architecture, technologies, and writings. And within a culture, there are smaller cultures which have their own behaviors and norms. Culture affects how people behave and interact with each other, it helps people build relationships with others when they understand other cultures and perspectives. It’s also good to understand how much in common we have with other people even if at first glance their cultures might seem completely different. We are all humans and have similar needs, hopes, fears, and things that make us happy. It doesn’t mean, however, that our cultural differences don’t matter at all. A better strategy in life is to acknowledge that differences exist. The world is becoming more and more diverse as different languages, religions, economic and cultural groups blend together. We need to appreciate and understand different cultures and establish relationships with people from other backgrounds. This is the only way to build successful communities, improve our living conditions, and solve problems.

Now, once again about our gathering...for me, it was an "interesting" evening that for sure I will never forget!!!
In closing, one more time, many thanks to my nice, polite and kind guests of the evening…until next time my best regards to each of you!

Alice

“The truth is our master, we don't master the truth.” (Mihai Eminescu)

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

● Previous events I organized on the same theme: Eminescu & ROMANIA’s CULTURE Day – 2021, 2020, 2019
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). 

Thoughts at the beginning of the year (January 2022)

During the recent winter holidays season, I hope you had chance to relax and to reflect on the past 12 months, while making plans for a better year ahead.

Generally speaking, I believe that year 2021 showed us all what really matters in life and taught us what no one has taught us so far: that our true wealth is in us!

So, having said that, I strongly believe that it is important to know how to rejoice (and at the same time to be able to offer joy to our loved ones), to know how to accept reality and to know how to choose wisely.

As in general I enjoy so much to observe life, here are few thoughts I’ve gathered along the way (in 2021)…

Things that 2021 clearly re-emphasized and

what to take with us into the New Year

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but every morning they wake up upset about life, complaining about the light that is coming through the window, upset that a new day is beginning and they have to start all over again…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they put on gloomy clothes, walk with their heads bowed, greet sadly and half-heartedly, counting the cracks in the asphalt and the holes in the road…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they get sad and stressed at work, they rush to judge their colleagues and blame their bosses for everything that displeases them…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but when they go home they take with them all stress accumulated at work & spread it in their homes…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but for some raising a child (for example) has become such a burden & child’s desire to play becomes an extra stress...

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they are staring extensively at TV news, becoming terrified by commercial movies & angry at political shows…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they cover the night sky with blinds, at bedtime they are disturbed by day thoughts & blame life for insomnia…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but silence or reflection seems like a waste of time, spirituality seems like naiveté & peace is hard to achieve or bear…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they don't have time for themselves...

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they don't have time or patience for happiness…

- In life, many people would like to be happy, but they do not have time to discover that happiness is in them, in the morning sky, in the smile with which they greet people, in the eyes of their family, friends or co-workers, in the child's play, in the peace of the house, in the stars in the sky...

Being an optimist, I truly hope that one day eventually people will learn how to be happy, understanding that true, lasting happiness comes straight from their hearts.

"It is good to live in the present with the teachings of the past and the dreams of the future."

2022 – Happy NEW YEAR!

Dear friends, I wish you have a cheerful year ahead, filled with joy, happiness, peace, smiles and many good tidings for you and your family!

Good bye, 2021! Welcome, 2022!

As we let the old year go and we welcome the New Year with lots of optimism, may we all look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion and up with sincere gratitude.

Cheers to the New Year and to another chance for all of us to get it right!

❄❄❄❄❄

❄  LA MULTI ANI PENTRU NOUL AN! ❄ HAPPY NEW YEAR! ❄ BONNE ANNÉE! ❄FROHES NEUES JAHR! ❄ FELICE ANNO NUOVO! ❄ FELIZ AÑO NUEVO! ❄ ΕΥΤΥΧΙΣΜΈΝΟΣ Ο ΚΑΙΝΟΎΡΙΟΣ ΧΡΌΝΟΣ! ❄

❄❄❄❄❄

New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic 2022 – video

● My previous greetings on the same theme: NEW YEAR – 2021, 2020, 2019

December 25, 2021: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 ~ Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas ~

I'm trusting the day would find you close to those you love.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! ❄ FRÖHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN! ❄ CRĂCIUN FERICIT! ❄ BUON NATALE! ❄ ΚΑΛΆ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΎΓΕΝΝΑ! ❄

Traditional Christmas Carols (video clip)

● My previous greetings on the same theme: CHRISTMAS – 2020, 2019, 2018

Socializing: Pre-CHRISTMAS Reunion 2021

The current year is slowly coming to the end, fact which allowed me to organize on Tuesday (December 21, 2021) our usual pre-Christmas reunion (on line, since the province at the moment is again in a pandemic related lockdown…like many other places throughout the entire world).

Meeting with my friends for few hours gave me such a great joy as I was able to express my most sincere appreciation for their loyalty, for their ongoing support and encouragement since the beginning of ALICE & Friends Circle™ up to these days!

I was so happy to see that our group talks were truly open, relaxed and relaxing, filling my heart with genuine gratitude for another beautiful evening of togetherness, fully packed with unforgettable memories, Christmas cheer and heart-warming carols. Until we next time, dear friends, please stay healthy, safe & happy!

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

● Previous events I organized on the same theme: Social Pre-CHRISTMAS Reunion 2020, 2019

● Some of my additional greetings about CHRISTMAS – 2020, 2019, 2018

December 21, 2021: WINTER Solstice

A new winter has arrived, and at this time I’m sending along my best wishes to all for a safe, peaceful & bright cold season!

“If you listen carefully, the silence of snow falling is quite beautiful.”

Just a fresh reminder that the winter solstice marks the first day of this cold period as well as the shortest daylight and the longest night of the year.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: WINTER Solstice – 2020, 2019, 2018

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). 

December 2021: Our annual winter charity

During this cold December I was able to organize our group annual charity, helping again (on Thursday, December 16’21) the shelter of women and children affected by domestic violence.

The reasonable donations collected from several loyal friends of ALICE & Friends Circle™ as well as my family’s contribution helped me purchase different basic necessities for the women and children currently residing at the refuge, and by this briefing I’m glad to share that our gesture was very well received by everybody there. Deep down in my heart I wish that hope instead of hurts would shape their future.  

On the other hand, while at this page, I would like to briefly refresh again that the purpose of this sharing is to continue to exemplify (from a community stand point) that if you really want to do good in this world it is possible without being extremely rich, but rather being willing to care!

In closing, MANY THANKS again to all the supporters of these humanitarian projects, assuring each of them of my most sincere gratitude and appreciation!

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)

● Previous philanthropies I organized for ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 2020 | 2019 (gesture 1 & gesture 2) | 2018

Group celebration – ROMANIA’s NATIONAL DAY 2021

~ A yearly Romanian socio-cultural evening featuring Romania’s National Day ~ 

As the wheel of time is turning once again, we were glad to welcome a new December 1^st, occasion which gave us all the opportunity to bring our annual tribute while celebrating together Romania’s National Day (on Wednesday – December 1, 2021).

This time, I also chose the ‘on-line’ option for my event, given that out there a pandemic related anxiety is still sensed by many.

At this reunion, once again, I enjoyed having with us a dear guest of honor – Dr. Ovidiu Grecea, who is the General Consul of Romania and the Head of the Romanian Diplomatic Mission in Vancouver, as well as Plenipotentiary Minister of Romania in Canada.

After my opening remarks were delivered, the program began with the Romanian Anthem (since we were honoring Romania's National Day), promptly followed by the Canadian Anthem (since this is our county of adoption) – needless to say that those musical notes deeply touched our hearts!

Then, I proceeded with a concise slide show I’ve prepared for the occasion, meant to emphasize the uniqueness of Romania and I was truly happy to hear from all my guests that they really enjoyed and much appreciated my lecture; their in plenary remarks were very flattering for me.

On the other hand, most of you know that my website is read by many Romanians, as well as many fellow Canadians, friends and professional colleagues, let alone lots of friends from around the world, & as a courtesy to all, in order to help my readers learn more about Romania, below I’m publishing my presentation. Enjoy it!

Further, the program progressed with Consul Grecea’s talk who emphasized the significance of unity, refreshing that “union brings the real growth – intellectual, moral and spiritual, as well as the continuity of the Romanian spirit in Vancouver”.

Consul Grecea also recited a splendid poem, composed by Nichita Stănescu, which I’m publishing in comments section.

Next, almost every guest of our gathering expressed different heart-felt remarks about our homeland, and here are only few highlights:

- Our dear friend Dorina talked about Dr. Victor Babeș (who was a Romanian physician, bacteriologist, academician and professor, as well as one of the founders of modern microbiology). Dr. Babeș introduced rabies vaccination in Romania, only three years after its initiation by Louis Pasteur, and he is considered to be the second radiologist in the world (after Pasteur), as well as the father of serotherapy (precursor to modern immunology). In recognition of his innovative work in medicine, Dr. Babeș was elected member of the French “Académie nationale de médecine” and received three times the award of the “French Academy of Sciences”. Likewise, he was awarded the title of Knight of the “Legion of Honor”.

Additionally, Dorina mentioned few heroes of the nation (men & women), recalling their enormous courage, sacrifices, defeats and cherished victories over time.

Also, since the current year almost reached its completion and many people have an overall review analysis, our dear friend Dorina wrote an article (here is the link) for “Observatorul” Magazine from Toronto, including a descriptive paragraph about the activities of ALICE & Friends Circle™ during 2021. Definitively, a beautiful gesture deeply appreciated! 

- After that, our friend Sandu gave a descriptive summary of his mentor from a personal perspective – an angle that very few people knew the man Pavel Corutz (who recently transitioned).

- Then our friend Victor brought into conversation several well-known Romanians, who brought significant contributions to humanity, and these are:
● Dr. Ioan Cantacuzino (a renowned Romanian physician, bacteriologist, & professor at the School of Medicine & Pharmacy of the University of Bucharest),
● Dr. Nicolae Paulescu (who was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine, and politician, most famous for his work on diabetes, including patenting pancreine, which is a pancreatic extract containing insulin), and
● Dr. Mina Minovici (a Romanian forensic scientist, the founder of the modern medico-legal system in Romania; he was one of the most prominent personalities in this field of activity in Europe at that time).

- Further, our friend John reminded several famous Romanians, and these are:
● Dr. Gheorghe Marinescu (who was a pioneer and founder of the Romanian School of Neurology),
● Emil Racoviță (who was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, and Antarctic explorer, who together with
● Grigore Antipa ( who was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Romania), and
● Dr. Emil Palade (who was a Romanian cell biologist, described as the most influential cell biologist ever. Dr. Palade was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his innovations in electron microscopy and cell fractionation which together laid the foundations of modern molecular cell biology).

- Last but not least, Ileana briefly mentioned the chronology of Romania's national anthems throughout history and at the end she did recall Badea Cârțan (who was a self-taught Romanian shepherd who fought for the independence of the Romanians in Transylvania, distributing Romanian-language books that he secretly brought from Romania to their villages. At that time Transylvania was not yet united with the rest of the country).

Our time together was pleasing in every way, making each of us realize how important and beneficial it is to surround ourselves with like-minded people.

Without any doubt, we all had a lovely evening together, abundantly filled with fond memories and special moments, and for this I’m passing along my genuine appreciation to each of my guests.

Until we meet again, dear friends, my best wishes to each of you for a peaceful and satisfying rest of the year!

Alice

Mesaj personal din partea lui Alice, adresat în limba română, la ceas aniversar:

Dragii mei,

Sincerele mele mulţumiri pentru timpul petrecut împreună cu această ocazie specială – Ziua Naţională a României, pe anul 2021!

A fost o reală plăcere să putem depăna amintiri de suflet, să evocăm mari oameni ai neamului nostru şi să aducem un prinos de recunoştinţă strămoşilor de la care am dobândit înţelepciunea, integritatea, verticalitatea, demnitatea şi respectul cinstit pentru valori şi repere, pentru cultură şi tradiţii.

De asemenea, tot cu această ocazie doresc să-mi exprim certa bucurie şi pentru faptul că în acest context putem colabora cu eleganţă, lejeritate şi eficacitate, unindu-ne eforturile pentru a păstra şi promova o imagine potrivită ţării de obârşie – România! Vă mulţumesc şi pâna la proxima revedere, vă doresc la fiecare numai bine, pace şi bucurii!

Cu preţuire,

Alice

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” AliceFriendsCircle.blogspot.com

One world – many cultures…the perfect opportunity to celebrate our similarities & respect our differences, remembering that history is the best guide to the future!

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

Also, while at this page, here I’m briefly sharing that this year (on Romania’s National Day), the Romanian Consulate in Vancouver through Consul Grecea offered a number of appreciation diplomas to several Romanians from the community for their contribution to Romanian culture and I was grateful to be one of them. 

● Previous events I organized on the same theme: ROMANIA's NATIONAL Day – 2020, 2019, 2018
● Some of my greetings referring to ROMANIA's NATIONAL Day – 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 

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).