Love is in the air in February and Romania has its own traditional celebration - Dragobete. Discover the charm of this local romantic holiday and surprise that special someone by saying ‘I love you’ in Romanian.

• Celebrate love the Romanian way

While Valentine’s Day has steadily gained popularity in Romania over the years, the local celebration of love, Dragobete, remains a cherished tradition. Marked on February 24, ten days after Valentine’s Day, Dragobete offers a unique glimpse into Romania’s rich cultural heritage, celebrated with customs that have evolved over the centuries.

The holiday traces its roots to ancient Romanian folklore. The story goes that Dragobete was the son of the old lady called Baba Dochia, who marks the return of spring. Dragobete’s other name is the bird’s fiance or ‘head of the spring’, because it too marks the beginning of spring.

In traditional rural areas, Dragobete was a complex celebration, filled with rituals that involved both young men and women.

On this day, boys and girls dressed in holiday attire would gather in front of the church, ready to search for the first signs of spring. Their journey would lead them into the woods or meadows to collect spring flowers, which were thought to symbolize new beginnings and love. The gathering would culminate in a communal moment - sitting around a fire on the hilltops of their village to share stories and celebrate the season.

Girls would run back to the village, each pursued by a boy who had fallen in love with her. If a boy caught up with the girl he admired, and if she felt the same, they would share a kiss in front of the whole community. This public display of affection symbolized their engagement for the year ahead, and the phrase “Dragobete kisses the girls” (Dragobetele sărută fetele) became popular in Romanian culture.

Although many of the traditional customs have faded in modern times, a few have survived. In some rural areas, women are still encouraged to wash their faces with snow to ensure they will remain joyful and healthy throughout the year.

Another charming ritual involved unmarried girls eating a special salty bread made by the eldest woman of the house. The bread was said to make them thirsty, and that night, they would dream of their future husband bringing them water, a symbolic gesture of their forthcoming marriage.

Today, Dragobete remains an important part of Romania's cultural heritage, especially for those who wish to embrace a more authentic and meaningful form of celebrating love.

In major urban areas, various events are being organized for Dragobete, and in general it is expected that lovers give each other small gifts, even if symbolic, on this occasion.

• Say ‘I love you’ in Romanian

Probably the most common phrase to express those strong feelings of love is Te iubesc! - I love you! But sometimes, the Romanians add extra words to this phrase to make it even more powerful. Here are some examples:

Te iubesc din toată inima - I love you with all my heart

Te iubesc din tot sufletul - I love you with all my soul

Te iubesc la nebunie - I love you like crazy

Te iubesc mult de tot - I love you so much

If you are madly in love with someone and ‘te iubesc’ just doesn’t seem like the perfect phrase, then you can use Te ador - I adore you instead. And you can start your declaration of love with Dragostea mea - My love.

An expression the Romanians use to show their appreciation for some (or even more than that) is Îmi place de tine - I like you. But if the feelings of love got stronger and you fell in love with someone, then you should probably say M-am îndrăgostit de tine - I fell in love with you.

Here are some phrases to use if that special person is not close to you:

Mi-e dor de tine - I miss you

Mă gândesc tot timpul la tine - I’m thinking about you all the time

Aș vrea să fii lângă mine - Wish you were here

Când pot să te mai vad? - When can I see you again?

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gabriela Beres/Dreamstime.com)