Mucenici

For the 2008 film, see Mucenici (film).

Mucenici (Romanian: Măcinicii) is a Christian feast of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, a traditional holiday in Romania and Moldova. It coincides with the start of the agricultural year. Those who observe this holiday clean their households and light fire to garbage collected from their homes, to bring warmth outside.

Food

Some believe that when the Martyrs were drowned, flowers rose to the surface. As a result, the desserts are made in the figure 8 to look like garlands. Others believe that the figure 8 denotes a stylized human form of the martyrs themselves.

In Moldova, dough in the shape of the figure 8 is baked, then smeared with honey and walnuts.

In the Muntenia and Dobruja regions of Romania, the dough is smaller and cooked in water with sugar, cinnamon and crushed nuts, symbolizing the lake where the Martyrs were cast.