The Calendar Art Collection

A beautiful custom in Mărginimea Sibiului (and some other areas around it) is the tradition of “giving dishes”. On Easter Sunday, the morning unfolds in serene stillness, until the church bells, perched on a hill at the heart of the village, chime around 10 o’clock, their resonant sound filling the air. The villagers gather at the cemetery, where they adorn family graves with intricately embroidered traditional towels. Upon these, they place red eggs, pretzels, a bottle of wine, and plates of fruit cake, honoring their loved ones with care and reverence.

A unique tradition unfolds for the “bride and groom” couples—those who were married within the past year, from the previous Easter to the present one. Together with their godparents, they return to the cemetery to share “sweet wine” from the same bottles used at their wedding, offering it to their former wedding guests in this deeply symbolic setting. This gesture of hospitality culminates in an invitation to the “Easter Lunch,” a feast that mirrors the wedding menu, celebrating the union of love and community once again. In turn, the guests bring gifts, often practical items like kitchenware or, more recently, appliances, to support the newlyweds as they build their new life together.