Winter Moși 2027: Saturday 6 March
When it falls, when the alms are given and how to get ready-made packages if you live in or around Iași.
In 2027, Winter Moși (Moșii de iarnă) falls on Saturday 6 March. It is the first great commemoration of the dead in the year, held on the Saturday before Meatfare Sunday, and it is followed by the Saturdays of the dead in Great Lent. Below is what is customary around Iași; the order of the service is for the parish priest to say.
The date in 2027
Orders for colivă, colaci and packages: until Wednesday 24 February.
Next year: Saturday, 19 February 2028.
For Iași and the surrounding area
Ready-made alms packages, brought to you
Alms are given on Saturday morning, after the service, at church and at the cemetery — so the packages need to be ready the evening before. We cook and pack them; you just hand them out.
- Food portions in containers, ready to give
- Colaci braided and baked to order
- Colivă for the service
- Regular or fasting — tell us how many of each
We only deliver in the Iași area: delivery is included within the city of Iași, and for nearby villages just ask us. We don't ship to other counties.
From our kitchen
Colivă, cozonac and focaccia, for the packages
We put them in the alms package, or you can order them separately, by the piece — for Moși, for example, when they're handed out at church and at the cemetery. The family chooses what goes in: colac, cozonac, focaccia or all of them.
Colivă in a container
100 g
An individual portion with a lid, ready to hand out after the service.
Slice of cozonac
150–170 g
Homemade cozonac, sliced and individually wrapped, ready for the package.
Homemade focaccia
100–120 g
Lenten. It replaces the colac or comes in addition, as the family prefers.
You can also order them by the piece, separately from the meal. We give you the price in the quote, based on quantity.
When the alms are given on Winter Moși
Alms are given on the day of Moși, Saturday 6 March. In the morning, families take colivă, colaci, wine and the list of names to church, and after the memorial service they hand out alms to those present.
From church, many go on to the cemetery and give alms there, then to neighbours and to people who need it. The packages are prepared the day before, so that on Saturday morning they only need to be picked up and handed out.
When Winter Moși falls in 2027
Winter Moși is held on the Saturday before the Sunday of the Last Judgement, also called Meatfare Sunday. In 2027, that means Saturday 6 March. Next year it falls on Saturday, 19 February 2028.
The date moves from year to year because it depends on Easter: Winter Moși comes eight weeks before it. That's why it sometimes falls in February and sometimes in March.
What is given as alms on Winter Moși
Colaci, candles and cooked food are given. In Moldova people also give dishes full of food, with a candle and a colac on top — the dish stays with whoever receives it, also as alms.
Alms go to the people around you: neighbours, the elderly, those in need, people at church. There is no fixed list of recipients; the custom of the household matters more than any rule.
What is taken to church
On Saturday morning the memorial service for all the dead is held. Families bring colivă, colaci, a bottle of wine, candles and a pomelnic — a sheet with the names of the family's departed, read by the priest during the service.
Colivă is made from boiled wheat, sugar and walnuts. After the service it is shared with those present.
Fasting or non-fasting?
Saturday is not a fasting day, and Great Lent only begins after Moși, so the alms for Winter Moși can be non-fasting. The Saturdays of the dead that follow, in Great Lent, are kept as fasting days.
Families who also want to give to people who are fasting can make part of the packages lenten. Tell us how many of each.
After Winter Moși: the Saturdays of the dead
Winter Moși opens the series of commemorations before Easter. Next come the second, third and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent, called the Saturdays of the dead, then Paștele Blajinilor after Easter — all with dates calculated in the calendar of commemorations.
If you've lost someone recently, Moși doesn't replace the family's own memorial days — 40 days, 6 months, one year. It's an extra commemoration, of all the departed.
What you can order from us
For Moși we're usually asked for colaci, colivă and ready-packed food portions to give as alms. We braid and bake the colaci to order, and the food comes in containers, ready to hand out.
For Winter Moși in 2027 we take orders until Wednesday 24 February. On Moși days we cook for several families at once, so places fill up faster than the rest of the year. Within the city of Iași delivery is included.
Frequently asked
What families ask us
When is Winter Moși in 2027?
Saturday 6 March. Winter Moși is held on the Saturday before Meatfare Sunday, eight weeks before Easter. Next year it falls on Saturday, 19 February 2028.
When are the alms given on Winter Moși?
On Saturday 6 March, in the morning: at church, after the memorial service, then at the cemetery and to people nearby. That's why the packages are prepared the day before.
What is given as alms on Winter Moși?
Colaci, candles and cooked food. In Moldova people also give dishes full of food, with a candle and a colac on top.
Is Winter Moși a fasting day?
No. Saturday is not a fasting day, and Great Lent only begins after Moși. The alms can be non-fasting; if you'd also like lenten packages for people who fast, tell us how many.
Do you deliver alms packages for Winter Moși?
Yes, in the Iași area. We prepare them ready-packed, in containers, with the colaci alongside. Within the city of Iași delivery is included; for nearby villages, just ask. We don't ship to other counties.
Read next