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.
Regarding two medieval coin hoards from Florești district, Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Author suggests some clarifications regarding the content of the Mărculești and Băhrinești coin hoards transferred by A.A. Nudelman in 1986 to the holdings of the Archaeology Institute of the Science Academy.
The hoard from Mărculești village, Florești district was acquired by the holdings under the acts № 57 of March 21, 1986 (2465 coins) and № 65 of September 23, 1986 (two more copies), inventory numbers 2064-4530.
Both hoards were described by A. Nudelman in the article “Неизданные монетные клады XVI-XVII вв. из Днестровско-Прутского региона” (Средневековые памятники Днестровско-Прутского междуречья, Кишинёв, 1988, 145-148) in which the author introduces the Mărculești hoard as the Băhrinești hoard and vice versa, thus contradicting the content of the delivery-acceptance acts.
It is also to be pointed out that in the mentioned work the quantity of analyzed coins as well as identification of some issues differs from the coins kept in the holdings of the museum. The author just names the country and the issuer.
The author of the present article researched only the Mărculești hoard coins which had been included in the holdings of the museum and published “Un tezaur monetar gasit in s. Mărculești” (Arheologia Moldovei 18, 1995, 305-309) in order to rule out alternative versions regarding the coins of the mentioned hoards. The work contains a thorough description of the averse and reverse sides of each coin, indicates size and weight, determines mints, and comprises illustrative material.
From our point of view, it is necessary to analyze the Băhrinești hoard coins the same way (at the present time both hoards are kept in the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova).
According to archaeologist V.I. Markevich, the coin hoard was discovered in 1980 near the railroad in the neighbor- hood of Băhrinești village. As a result of 1986 Florești archaeological expedition, A.A. Nudelman transferred 320 coins to the funds of the Archaeology Institute.
In 1990 A.A. Nudelman in the article “Бэхринештский клад и польско-литовские монеты в молдавских тезаврациях” (Нумизматические издания по истории Юго-Восточной Европы, Кишинёв, 1990, 185-203) includes in the scientific turnover fifty nine coins which were placed at his disposal for publication. This lot isn’t part of the above-mentioned Bagrinesti hoard consisting of 320 coins. The Bagrinesti hoard contains small European coins of the 16th-17th centuries: 305 coins are Lithuanian 1/2 groschen minted in Vilno town. The coins have been put in a chronological sequence: Alexander I Jagiello, 1495-1501 – 1 coin; Sigismund I the Old – 3 coins (1510, 1520, 1521); Sigismund II Augustus – 301 1/2 groschen (1546-1567); Świdnica – 1/2 grosch (1523) during Louis II Jagiello reign (1516-1526).
The lot also contains 9 Hungarian dinars minted in Kremnica between 1546 and 1602 by the Habsburg House rulers: Ferdinand I – 4 coins (1545, 1557, 1558, 1563); Maximilian II – 1 coin, 1568; Rudolf II – 3 coins (1585, 1596, 1602); Matyáš II – dinars, 1610.
The hoard also includes 5 schillings: 1 – Poland, the Krakow mint, Stefan Batory, 1580; 1 – Gdansk, Sigismund III, 1532; 1 schilling, Riga, 1601, Sigismund III; 1 – Lithuania, the Vilno mint, Sigismund III, 1621; 1 schilling, Prussia, 1560, Königsberg mint, Albrecht I von Brandenburg reign (1525-1568).
The earliest coin of the hoard dates back to 1495-1501, and the latest coin dates back to 1621.
Анна Никулицэ
Silverware and coins from the two medieval hoards
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2007
Анна Никулицэ
Golden and silver adornment objects discovered at the Aeneolithic and Bronze Age monuments (on the materials from the NMAHM collections
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
