Irod
Encyclopedia
Irozii were Romanian Orthodox minstrel show
s, played in the Christmas
season, centered on the figure of Herod the Great
and the Massacre of the Innocents
. Along with a New Year
tradition of imitation peasant weddings, they are generally considered the origin of Romanian-language popular theater.
Irozii influenced the Purim
plays of the Romanian Jews (generally credited as the origin of Yiddish theater) and vice versa. Thus, the origin of Romanian-language popular theater in the first half of the 19th century was echoed in the later origin (also in Romania) of Yiddish theater.
Typically performed by schoolteachers and deacon
s, irozii initially took place in the boyar
's or lord's court; in later years, performances would be given in the salons of the grand houses. Irozii began to fade in the late 19th century; elaborate pageants are no longer common, though a less elaborate form continues.
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
s, played in the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season, centered on the figure of Herod the Great
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
and the Massacre of the Innocents
Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre of the Innocents is an episode of infanticide by the King of Judea, Herod the Great. According to the Gospel of Matthew Herod orders the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth...
. Along with a New Year
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
tradition of imitation peasant weddings, they are generally considered the origin of Romanian-language popular theater.
Irozii influenced the Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
plays of the Romanian Jews (generally credited as the origin of Yiddish theater) and vice versa. Thus, the origin of Romanian-language popular theater in the first half of the 19th century was echoed in the later origin (also in Romania) of Yiddish theater.
Typically performed by schoolteachers and deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s, irozii initially took place in the boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
's or lord's court; in later years, performances would be given in the salons of the grand houses. Irozii began to fade in the late 19th century; elaborate pageants are no longer common, though a less elaborate form continues.
External links
- Romanian Christmas traditions (in Romanian)