#Exhibit of the Month

Christmas bells entered the Romanian cultural space through a long process in which archaic traditions blended with Christian belief and European influences. Long before the holiday of Christmas developed as we know it, metallic sounds played an important ritual role in old communities: they were used to drive away evil spirits, to purify spaces, and to protect people during transitional moments at the turn of the year. These beliefs have been preserved in winter customs such as caroling, the Plugușor, and masked dances, where bells and jingles were indispensable.
With the spread of Christianity, the sound of the bell also acquired a profound religious meaning, becoming an announcer of major feasts and a symbol of the Nativity. Small bells, however, were not originally used as decorations but primarily as functional or ritual objects.
The first decorated Christmas tree in the Romanian lands was the one at the palace of Prince Carol I of Hohenzollern, following his arrival in the Romanian Principalities in 1866. From that moment the tradition took root, and on Christmas Eve princes and princesses invited to the palace would take part in decorating the tree. Among the ornaments used were small metal bells, symbolizing joy, the good news, and divine protection for the home.
In the twentieth century, Christmas bells spread across all Romanian provinces and became a visual emblem of the holiday, appearing in both decorations and carols. Even during periods when religious expression was curtailed, bells remained in people's homes as signs of joy and the continuity of tradition. Today they retain this dual meaning: the echo of ancient beliefs and, at the same time, the announcement of the Birth of Christ - a symbol of hope, light, and the link between past and present.
These tinkling pieces are part of a generous heritage collection at the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM), which includes more than 200 cultural items. A substantial contribution to the museum's collection of decorative bells was made by Dorina Raischi, a teacher at School No. 94 in Chișinău, who donated 174 bells, of which around 30 are winter-themed. Made of ceramic, porcelain, glass, and metal, they were brought from different parts of the world and together offer a succinct picture of the global culture of bells. They add a festive note to the home and even to a gift, and it is hard to imagine Christmas without their cheerful tinkling.

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Events Archive

Historian's Day 2017

June 18, 2017

On June 18, 2017, the servants of Goddess Clio from the Republic of Moldova celebrated the seventh edition of the professional day of the historian. The establishment of this professional holiday in 2011 was an act of recognition by the state of the contribution made by the community of historians to the complex process the rehabilitation of the scientific truth, an appreciation of the effort made for the spiritual rebirth of our people, whose civic conscience and national identity has been deeply affected by the communist regime. Also, this holiday, which celebrates the historical guild, is a gesture of encouragement for those who do not spare their efforts to return to the national values and of support of those who truly promote democratic and general human values.

On this beautiful occasion, the National Museum of History of Moldova hosted a Festive Meeting, organized with the effort and support of the Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova, the Institute of History of the ASM, the History and Philosophy Department of USM, the State Pedagogical University "Ion Creangă", the History and International Relations Department of ULIM, the Center for Culture and Military History, and the National Museum of History of Moldova.

The Blue Room of the National Museum of History of Moldova gathered scholars and history teachers from universities and schools, museographers, archivists, and students passionate about history. There were many speakers at the event: assoc. prof. Gheorghe NEGRU, interim president of the Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova, prof. dr. hab. Gheorghe COJOCARU, director of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Ion NEGREI, vice-president of the Association of Historians of the Republic of Moldova, Viorica NEGREI, deputy head of Education, Youth and Sport General Department, Chișinău Municipality, assoc.prof. Vitalie CIOBANU, director of the Center for Culture and Military History of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova, Petru VICOL, director of the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of the Republic of Moldova. At the event were also awarded diplomas with appreciation of the efforts of the most distinguished historians. The meeting was embellished with a show performed by the students of the Republican Music Lyceum "Ciprian Porumbescu" from Chișinău, with a recital of lyrics and songs of deep national and artistic significance.

#Exhibit of the Month

Decorative Bells

Historian's Day 2017

June 18, 2017

#Exhibit of the Month