Does Transylvania Celebrate Halloween?

Sorry I am at a loss for answers, and have hit a brick wall, I need help!

This was asked to me by a little child, and although I'm not sure of a proper answer I did tell her that Transylvania celebrate Halloween in its own way.

Safe Answer.

But For those in the know, Does Transylvania celebrate Halloween?

Just a Few Pictures of An Area Known As Transylvania

Why these two cities? Well for one thing, My family is from a small village near Bistrita, and a cousin is originally from Alba Iluia, I'd add Timisoara, but I'm sure to get a nasty comment =)

My Aunt is from Timsoara, and she is a Swabian. It's to those who don't know an ethnic German, somewhat like the Saxons, but with a totally different culture and I might add dialect. Rather fun when we all get together, and it's German, Saxon, and Swabian languages in the house..


Bistrisa

Alba Iluia

I was talking to the Romanian consulate, and wonder of wonders, they list the three provinces of Romania to be: Moldovia, Wallachia and guess the last one.... =) On A big map no less in the waiting room. ( Makes me wonder, how many more culturally diverse areas are in Romania.)

Oh and one more thing a new hub on Transylvania

Relations between the Cities of Transylvania and Bucharest ( My Mistake!)

I've always wanted to talk about Transylvania, mostly because my family is from the area, but one relative in particular is from Timisoara, and she tends to refer to the area as a "part of Transylvania"

My mistake. (Read it here.) As Lucien M. pointed out, it is a part of the Banat, which really isn't a part of Transylvania, and it is distinct. I found this map, now in the darker region this is the Banat area, and the Transylvania region is the lighter colour.

Maybe I should start saying that this is a Transylvania and Banat blog!

You tell me.

Relations between the Cities of Transylvania and Bucharest

Below are pictures of Timisoara, one of the many cities in Transylvania, and since 1989 the relations between this city and Bucharest haven't been the greatest.


Some of teh beutiful building in the city.

Why is this?

They were one of the first cities to join the Revolution of 1989 which led to the downfall of the communist government.

Why Restore Old Buildings?

Bran Castle in Transylvania

Another view of the Castle from a different angle

Later in the day again a different angle.

My Answer is simple for the cultural value they hold. I know that the Bran Castle is tourist attraction, but its history is vital to the community. All of the about pictures are from Bran Castle.

Why Restore Old Buildings?

Why should old buildings be restored? Is there a cultural value to it? Would it help the people living in Transylvania, and improve the combined value that Transylvania (and its many names that Transylvania is called) has to the world. Here are two pictures below


Elizabeth Bathory's Castle: IS there value in restoring this castle or are the native plants around there more vital? ( They are in some cases endangered.)

One of the ancient castles of Alba Iluia: Would it be better if restored? What if it was the castle that Michael the brave entered in?

What does Money have to do with Transylvania?

What does this image have to to with the image below it?

In this case, money is needed to repair the many churches and villages neglected during the communist rule, when religion wasn't valued, and there was a push for collectivisation.

Dracula and A Queen

The Birthpalce of Vlad Tepes, in Transylvania, not close to Bran Castle.

Queen Maria in her home in Transylvania, Bran Castle.

Why are these two so important to people in North America simply put because they have the influcen of our imagination to work with.

Transylvania

For some this is the meaning of Transylvania.

Castles such as Bran Castle, the home of the Teutonic Knights and of Queen Maria of Romania.

But not for me....

This is what Transylvania means to me...

Peace, nature and beauty.

Dracula and Money

Why is this sign so important? Well in the West, he is a big name, with bgi money to be had.

Is it all true? No. Vlad Tepes isn't all that important. (Well, to Transylvania at least!)

So why?

Transylvania and Music

The photo below is the writer of the Romanian national anthem. It was written in 1848. But Transylvania and Music went hand in hand long before that time.


This is one of the places that held music, and now plays music after the 1989 revolution.

Music and Transylvania

Who is this?

Transylvania and Hungary and Romania

Some time ago I received an email, now instead of putting it up here, I put it and my answer on to hubpages. Feel free to read it and add some comments as well. Yes, I know it might get me into hot water, but this is the email and it's there.

Once you read the hub you'll understand the meaning behind the map.

What are you're feeling that you get from the email?

Georganna has a wonderful book that she is sending me about Romania, when I get it and read it, the review of it will be up here.

Transylvania, and Its Peoples

As most of you have seen on my profile picture either here or on blogged or on hub pages, this is my picture.

Cute, you might say but why?

Well, my family was from Transylvania, and they were known as the Siebenburgen Saxons. Up until a few years ago I knew little of the life they lead, not for lack of trying but for the simple lack of the oral history.

Yes there were books, but the next time I hear that we came from Saxony I'll scream. No, my family came from the Rhine area in Germany, to Transylvania in around 1500. There were about 15 traceable people who came to Transylvania.

They stayed there until 1944, and left for Germany.

So the shield to me is important that it reminds me about my heritage, and like the seven castles, that my family is from a wonderful place.

Royalty and a Transylvania Castle

Three Words: the blood Countess... I believe that Bram Stoker would have been better off in writing about her.

Although Vlad Tepes was known for his public executions, The Blood Countess killed within the walls of her castle, reportedly 600 young women, to keep her beauty.

Royalty and an unsual Castle in Transylvania

These two photos are images that I relate together, Queen Maria of Romania and Bran Castle in Bran, Transylvania.

Bran castle is the castle that Queen Maria lived in while in Transylvania. Her descendants by her daughter Illena now own the castle and intend to make it more "Western Friendly" by making it into a tourist attraction.

Not for her, or the Teutonic Knights who built it, but the character made famous in a Bram Stoker book. Dracula.

This is a sad event, since I am sure that many in Romania would love to see information about Queen Maria.

Transylvania Romania

Below are some very technical numbers for your reading pleasure. Easy to understand, The year is the first number, the next number is the population of Transylvania, the the percents are as follows: Romanian, Hungarian, and German, the thing about this chart is that the Romanian population was never below 50% from 1850 onwards. The map shows the outline of Transylvania.


1850
2,073,372
59.1%
25.9%
9.3%


1869
4,224,436
59.0%
24.9%
11.9%


1880
4,032,851
57.0%
25.9%
12.5%


1890
4,429,564
56.0%
27.1%
12.5%


1900
4,840,722
55.2%
29.4%
11.9%


1910
5,262,495
53.8%
31.6%
10.7%


1919
5,259,918
57.1%
26.5%
9.8%


1920
5,208,345
57.3%
25.5%
10.6%
1930


5,114,214
58.3%
26.7%
9.7%


1941
5,548,363
55.9%
29.5%
9.0%


1948
5,761,127
65.1%
25.7%
5.8%


1956
6,232,312
65.5%
25.9%
6.0%


1966
6,736,046
68.0%
24.2%
5.6%


1977
7,500,229
69.4%
22.6%
4.6%


1992
7,723,313
75.3%
21.0%
1.2%


2002
7,221,733
74.7%
19.6%
0.7%

I found this interesting, in so far of the fact that there is a debate whenever I mention the value of the peoples of Transylvania.

Bucharest, Romania and Transylvania.

The Quill is mightier than the sword? Between some cities in Transylvania, and the capital city of Bucharest, Romania, this might not be the case.

The case is best described with the 1989 revolution, can you name the two cities where the uprisings against Ceausescu began?

They are both in Transylvania, and they are both near the border of Hungary. Need a hint? Here is one.... In case you're confused, this is in the same blog, just a different post.

Tour Transylvania

Just a few pictures for you to enjoy.

By the way only one is based on Vlad Tepes! Tell me which one!

A Prince of Transylvania?

Yes there is such a thing as a Prince of Transylvania. But the question I'm asking is where is this prince now? And Why this picture?

Some of the former princes of Transylvania include: Micheal the Brave, Prince of Transylvania, Prince of Wallachia and Prince of Moldovia.

Another, The Blessed Karl of Austria, Grand Prince of Transylvania, King of Hungary.

He died in 1922, and his son commonly known as Otto von Hapsburg is pretender to this throne. The picture above is of Otto and his great-uncle, Emperor Franz Joesph of Austria.

My Question For you Today is this: Can you name other Princes or Grand Princes of Transylvania?

Transylvania: Hungary and Hungarians

Hungarians are still a strong part of Transylvania. I do get many emails about this and you can read an email I received and my comments about it here.

This is Herrmannstadt, a Saxon city, but can you name the Romanian and Hungarian names for it?

Transylvania: A Country of Its Own?

I was asked in the comment box of the last post my thoughts as to why Transylvania never became a country of its own. I'll share them now. off to writing!

I think it is the location of Transylvania and the resources it provides the country that has control of it. In the Southern area of Transylvania there is oil and other natural resources, a vital and valuable thing indeed even now.

Transylvania was also n easy corridor to the West, and the Romans also needed it to protect themselves. In essence with few people, the land is mountainous and can be harder to farm in areas, and easy access, the land was fair game to many of the powers of both Europe and others. ( The Ottomans and the Turks and the Mongols.)

The people of Transylvania were also diverse and would have loved to join various countries at various times, to name a few Hungarians, Romanians, Jews, Germans, Roma, Austrians, and a whole assortment of others. This diversity lead to a slim chance of self-governance.

Now the land is primarily Romanian, with less of the diverse cultural Mosaic.

My Question to you: Why do you think Transylvania never became an "official" country on its own?

Bucharest and A Conference

Why this picture?

This is a conference that happened between the victors of World War II, now the interesting thins here is this: No Romania or France, so why did Romania regain Transylvania?

Simple.

The land is vital to Romania, or at least this is what the negotiators decided. Territory that was taken from Romania by Russia wasn't returned however, and yet, Queen Maria was first to say that was her ultimate goal.

What was this territory?

Queens and Romania

Dracula's Castle?

No Queen Maria's of Romania, who refurbished the castle to make it a bit more English. Still it's referred to as Dracula's castle in the West.

Thank Bram Stoker, for placing Bran Castle on the map... with his novel Dracula.

Queen Maria of Romania and Transylvania

A Queen and Quills.. what do they have in common?

In later chapters of my life, Queen Maria describes Transylvania... which city was it?

Why This Picture?

I think because it shows the dynamic that there is in Transylvania.

Who else do you think should be on this list of three blogs? I need your help!

Validity for Not? Transylvania

Clock Tower in Herrmannstadt. One of the most interesting cities in Transylvania. It was also possibly the most Saxon.

The thing I find most interesting about it is that it was majority German until 1941, after that it's still has the German influence, with many of the signs being both in Romanian and German.

Three Blogs:

The ever great website, Vlad Dracula always neat to see everything so new again.
Eva Gordon at werewolf Chronicles
and last but not least
Leaves of Tarkong, one great site