Ruga – Banat inhabitants’ celebration

Ruga or nedeia, as it is called in this region, is the party organized in Banat on the day of celebrating the patron saint of the church in a given town or village. For the Banat village, ruga is not only a religious celebration as any other would be, but it implies a well set ritual: participating in bringing homage to the dead, which takes place at dawn, going to church service, after which grandiose meals follow. Ruga is also a time of family reunion, when all its members, even those living abroad, return to Romania for celebrating it together.

Rich meals are made by each family and the friends and relatives are asked to join. Culinary details and abundance of dishes organized for the ruga speak of the family prestige and its economy prosperity. Due to that, often the ruga lunch in Banat is way too rich. And there is something else: traditional dancing! This is the chance to show off news clothes and jewelry for stunning the community members as much as possible. The premises hosting the traditional dancing can also be the place where fairs and other entertainment activities are organized.

Ruga is an interesting celebration firstly because the entire community prepares itself for it, but especially due to the focus on welcoming guests and cooking dishes. Cakes made at the time of ruga are vital. They depend on some ladies specialized in the art of homemade sweets; people pay them to make the deserts and during the period prior to ruga, they are overwhelmed.

In the last twenty years, Banat ruga has become an urban celebration too; the Banat towns have their own ruga parties set out according to the date of celebrating the patron saint of the church. Some cities might even have neighborhoods with their own ruga. The urban space has made this celebration less grandiose in one’s family, but the local authorities are doing everything in their power for ruga to be an unforgettable celebration each year.

Bibliography:

Otilia Hedeșan, Fațetele unei identități reinventate, disponibil la: http://www.memoriabanatului.ro/index.php?page=studii/feele-unei-identiti-reinventate             

Otilia Hedeșan Ruga Bănăţeană şi / vs Sărbătoarea Saltimbancilor. Resurse simbolice şi reinventarea unei mitologii timişorene, în coord. Smaranda Vultur, Banatul din memorie, Timişoara, Marineasa, 2009, p. 206 – 223;

Foto: Arhiva ”Living Heritage-An Unlimited Resource for Tourism Development”; http://www.primariadudestiinoi.ro/evenimente/dudestiul-in-strai-de-sarbatoare-ruga-de-sfantul-dumitru-356.html