In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter celebrations last from 20th December to 7th January. The 20th is when people in Romania celebrate St. Ignatius's Day. It is traditional that if the family keep pigs, one is killed on this day. The meat from the pig is used in the Christmas meals.
Medical care in Romania is generally not up to Western standards, and basic medical supplies are limited, especially outside major cities.
Romania is a secular state, and it has no state religion. However, an overwhelming majority of the country's citizens are Christian. 86.7% of the country's population identified as Eastern Orthodox in the 2002 census (see also: History of Christianity in Romania).