Editing May Day (section)

===Romania===
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On May Day, the [[Romanians]] celebrate the ''arminden'' (or ''armindeni''), the beginning of summer, symbolically tied with the protection of crops and farm animals. The name comes from [[Slavonic languages|Slavonic]] ''Jeremiinŭ dĭnĭ'', meaning prophet [[Jeremiah]]'s day, but the celebration rites and habits of this day are [[apotropaic]] and [[pagan]] (possibly originating in the cult of the god [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]]).

The day is also called ''ziua pelinului'' ("[[mugwort]] day") or ''ziua bețivilor'' ("drunkards' day") and it is celebrated to ensure good wine in autumn and, for people and farm animals alike, good health and protection from the elements of nature (storms, hail, illness, pests). People would have parties in natural surroundings, with ''lăutari'' (fiddlers) for those who could afford it. Then it is customary to roast and eat lamb, along with new mutton cheese, and to drink mugwort-flavoured wine, or just red wine, to refresh the blood and get protection from diseases. On the way back, the men wear [[lilac]] or mugwort flowers on their hats.

Other apotropaic rites include, in some areas of the country, people washing their faces with the morning dew (for good health) and adorning the gates for good luck and abundance with green branches or with [[birch]] saplings (for the houses with maiden girls). The entries to the animals' shelters are also adorned with green branches. All branches are left in place until the wheat harvest when they are used in the fire which will bake the first bread from the new wheat.

On May Day eve, country women do not work in the field as well as in the house to avoid devastating storms and hail coming down on the village.

''Arminden'' is also ''ziua boilor'' (oxen day) and thus the animals are not to be used for work, or else they could die or their owners could get ill.

It is said that the weather is always good on May Day to allow people to celebrate.