• Norway!

    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

  • Vatican City!

    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

  • Macedonia!

    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

  • Austria!

    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

  • Spain!

    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Culture & Identity of Romania

Introduction

Romanian Culture - Local woman
Local woman

Romania is a quickly changing country. Even today nearly a third of their jobs are in the agricultural sector, but this is changing as the people are moving to cities and jobs are growing in the industrial and services sectors.

Nearly half the population of Romania lives in rural settings and these people still live a lifestyle and have a way of life similar to that of traditional Romania. Many of these people work in agriculture and their lives are dependent on the weather and seasons as most days last from sun up to sun down. Also similar to the past, family is important to most people and this is very noticeable among people in more rural areas as much time is spent with family.

In cities the culture and way of life are slowly changing. There is more discretionary income among many people and numerous entertainment options, leading to families going out more often and more possibilities for people to go out with friends. While not everyone has these opportunities, or the money to enjoy them, for many this is the life that is slowly developing.

For many of these people, life revolves around work as many people have jobs with regular hours, most of which run from about 9:00 am to about 5:00 pm. However, these jobs are typically only found in the cities in the business and services sectors. In towns hours vary to meet the expectations of the visitors so there is little consistency from place to place. Like the odd hours in many workplaces, schools also have these odd hours as some schools work in two shifts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Despite this alteration in lifestyle, family is still central to the people no matter their daily schedule.

As Romania continues to change and slowly integrates itself into the European Union the way of life is likely to slowly change to a more Western European-styled model with more regular working hours and likely also a shift from agriculture and rural living to a more urbanized lifestyle.

Identity

Romanians typically identify as Romanian, and much like their nation's history, the individuals have never really seemed to define this term other than in ethnic terms. In this way, the definition of this identity is rather vague, but is reliant on the ethnicity of the individual and to a lesser degree also the language, religion, and culture of the people. Citizenship seems to have little role in the identity, especially considering the many ethnic minorities in the country. Among these ethnic minorities, such as the Hungarians (or Magyars), most identify first with their ethnicity or language.

This page was last updated: May, 2014