Moldova Edition
Dia de Reyes leads today's complete edition for Moldova.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
Kids leave their shoes out the night before and wake up hoping for a gift from the Reyes Magos. The panaderias sell roscon de reyes, the ring-shaped sweet bread with a plastic baby hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby hosts the next gathering, though everyone forgets by February.
The Orthodox Christmas Eve is a day of fasting and preparation. The table is set with 12 lenten dishes, one for each apostle, and no meat or dairy is consumed. The dishes include wheat berries with honey (coliva), boiled wheat with walnuts, vegetable borscht, pickled mushrooms, and fish. A straw is placed under the tablecloth to symbolize the manger, and a candle is lit to guide the spirits of ancestors. The evening ends with the first carolers arriving, and the children sing "O, ce veste minunata" (Oh, what wonderful news).