Great Union Day: Romanians in Luton celebrate national day at community centre

Romanian people across Luton celebrated the country’s national day at Link Community Centre at the weekend.

Families joined together to mark the Great Union on December 1, a holiday that celebrates Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina unifying with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918. The event was organised by Delia Chiuzbaian, its director and founder, and included history about the day, traditional food, dresses and the hora, a circle dance from the country.

The centre’s executive director Florina Nistor said the event was a success for the centre and the Eastern European community. She said: “Representation definitely matters and it's so important, especially after you've moved, you've hit a hard rock wall, so to be seen by the people who you're trying to integrate yourself with that you're welcome here. It boosts people's confidence.

She added: “The biggest aspect of our organisation is bringing all of these cultures together and learning from each other. Friday was a massive learning moment.”