In Romania, after honoring the Feast of the Theophany on January 6th, Romanians celebrate the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist on January 7th.
As the person who baptized Christ in the River Jordan, St. John the Baptist is the Holy Forerunner of Christ, also the Protector Saint of God.
These feasts come after Christmas, in an effort to remember those saints who participated directly in the sacred event – such as John the Baptist.
St. John was the son of the Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was a cousin of the Virgin Mary. He is called the Forerunner because he preceded Christ and taught repentance, which prepared men for Jesus’ teaching and His ministry. According to Holy Tradition, he was the first to recognise Christ as the Messiah as early as when they were both still in their mothers’ wombs. It is said that the Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and when they embraced John leapt in his mother’s womb.
According to the New Testament, John was sentenced to death and subsequently beheaded by Herod Antipas around AD 30 after John rebuked him for divorcing his wife Phasaelis and then unlawfully wedding Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I.
On this day, elievers wash their faces with holy water, as it is said that this way they will be safe and healthy in the year to come. It is also said that those who are sad on this day will have bad luck and will be unhappy all year: positive thoughts are recommended.
Saint John the Baptist is also considered the patron saint of infants, and an old belief says that women who want to become mothers must pray to Saint John to give birth to healthy babies.
Almost 2 million Romanians celebrate their onomastic day with this occasion.
