The Day of National Culture was marked Sunday, 15 January 2017, at the Romanian Academy, where a solemn session was held focusing on national identity.
The opening address was delivered by the President of the Romanian Academy, Ionel-Valentin Vlad, who spoke about the role of faith and language in the development of national identity.
Our Christian faith of almost two millennia and the Romanian language represented over the centuries the two pillars of the persistence of the Romanian people, of our culture and, at the same time, they represented the essential elements through which we have integrated into European culture and civilization. Romanian language was formed in the first 800 years since the Roman occupation in a process of mixing Vulgar Latin with local language and other languages of migrating peoples, in a similar way all Roman languages were formed.
The President of the Romanian Academy stressed the role of National Poet Mihai Eminescu in the Romanian culture.
The heritage left by Mihai Eminescu is enormous. The beauty of Romanian language, the deepness of thought, the love of homeland, of the past and the traditions of the Romanian people, all these are found in his poetic work, but also in the manuscripts remaining as true examples of intellectual toil.
Presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor read out the message of the President of Romania, Mr Klaus Iohannis.
We recognize not only the role of culture as a source of national solidarity and as resource of collective identity, but also that of a teacher of young generations, educating them in the spirit of the values of European democratic citizenship. Humanistic education and the encouragement of inter-cultural dialogue are the most effective means to reject hatred and manifestations of xenophobia, anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. This day when we pay homage to the Morning Star of National Culture, I reaffirm my determination to be the first protector of the spirit and values of national culture, through the tools and prerogatives I have as head of state, and the first guarantor of respecting the liberty of creators and cultural rights enshrined in the Constitution.
On the Day of National Culture, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a message entitled Folk Culture of Carols – Tradition and Renewal, which was read out by patriarchal adviser Fr. Florin Șerbănescu.
Carols are a common missionary work of clergy and laity to preserve and promote Romanian culture. The custom to sing carols, going from house to house in order to proclaim in song the Nativity of the Jesus Child in the cave of Bethlehem is still kept today in the life of Romanians, both at home and in the Romanian diaspora, through its church communities. Although in urban areas some old customs and traditions have disappeared, the habit of singing carols however remained a part of the Feast, a great joy to children, youth and adults who sing carols, but also to those who joyfully receive carollers and reward their effort offering with gifts. This beautiful tradition is actually a renewed call of every Christian to be like the angels and the shepherds of Bethlehem that is to be preachers or apostles of Christ’s merciful love to the world. Therefore, the Church urges us all to become carollers, witnesses and heralds of the coming of Christ – the Messiah into the world to give the world peace and joy, salvation and eternal life!
Also delivered speeches the representative of the Roman Catholic Church, the ministers of culture and education, and other academicians.
Photo Credit: Lumina Newspaper
