As promised in my previous post I will start write more about my country, Romania, about traditions here and stories and share what I know and what is true or not around. I decided to start with the holiday that is happening today, Mărțișor Day, because it’s one that celebrates the start of spring, full of joy, hope and good vibes. There are a lot of traditions and superstitions surrounding this and all of them are important to people and women here.
Although is not a 100% women celebrating holiday, like the 8th of March when is National Women Day here, it is mostly celebrated by the women here and just in some parts of the country by males too.
According to archaeological research, the Mărțișor traces its history more than 8,000 years ago. Some ethnologists believe that the Mărțișor celebration has Roman origins, others support the theory that it is an old Dacian tradition. The Dacians also celebrated the New Year’s on the first day of March. Ample spring celebrations were consecrated to this event, but in ancient Rome besides celebrating the New Year, March (Martius) was named in the honor of the god Mars, who was not only the god of war but also agriculture contributing to the rebirth of vegetation.
During Dacian times (era prior Anno Domini), the year started on the 1st of March as well, and it was divided into winter and summer. The red-and-white cord is also named “the time cord”, since it is considered to gather the months and weeks of the two ancient calendar seasons. The legend says that it has been knitted by Baba Dochia (a mythological character identified with the return of spring) before leaving with her sheep in the mountains, where she died of cold.
In the old times, Mărțișor were made of small river pebbles, colored in white and red, stringed on a thread and worn around the neck. The red and white string is still worn till the spring is into force. When cuckoo sings for the first time or the first trees/flowers come to blossom, the string is placed into a green tree to bring good luck.
The red and white combination represents the reality of the opposite: life and death, day and night, winter and summer, fertility and infertility, cold and heat, the beginning and the end, and Mărțișor is a symbol of the balance. Also, the thread of the trinket represents the inseparable union of the 2 principles.
There is also the legend of Baba (Hag) Dochia, one of the most well-known figures in Romanian mythology. Most commonly associated with the coming of spring, Baba Dochia (or The Old/Hag Dochia) is often thought of as an old woman with a herd of sheep or goats. She represents mankind’s impatience when awaiting the coming of a new spring season.
Dragomir is her son who marries a girl that Baba Dochia does not approve of and to get her revenge, sends her new daughter in law to wash black wool in a stream. She tells her not to return until the black wool has turned white. No matter how hard she washes, the wool does not change color and she begins to cry from despair, worrying that she will not see her husband again.
Upon seeing her from the sky, a God called Mărțișor comes down and presents the girl with a red flower, saying to wash the wool with that. Miraculously, this works, and the girl returns home happily to her husband and Baba Dochia.
Baba (Hag) Dochia is angry that spring has come, since flowers only bloom in spring, and leaves to go to the mountains wearing nine/seven coats ( in some parts of the country they know only about 7 while in other parts she has 9 like the days you have to pick your hag). As the days grow warmer, she leaves the coats behind, until the last day when the weather subtle changes and she ends up frozen on the mountain and dies.
Picking one day out of first nine of the month is also related to this story, is called “Choosing a Hag” and is told that if you chose your day and it turns out to be a sunny one, you will have a good and healthy year and your hag will be happy, but if the day you pick is a cloudy and raining one, you will have a not so good year and your hag will be sad. Usually, the Old Hag is chosen by the birthdate. For example, if you were born on the 10th, you calculate like this: 1+0=1 => chosen hag is 1st of March. Mine is always on the last day of it, on 9th March.
Another legend, not so popular around, has it that as the Sun came down to Earth as a beautiful girl wishing to dance, but she became the prisoner of a dragon. To save the Sun, a young handsome boy called Mărțișor fought the dragon, leaving his blood in the snow. As the Sun went back to the sky, all the snow melted and snowdrops, white spring flowers, bloomed everywhere. Therefore, the color red from the string represents the young boy’s blood, and white represents the snowdrops and the white flowers of spring.
The Mărțișor is usually offered by men to the special females in their lives, but this is changing. In fact, in Moldova, women are used to giving Mărțișor to men. Usually, the Mărțișor is attached to your clothing on the left side of your chest, near your heart; and at times, it’s worn as a hand bracelet.
Today, the Mărțișor is worn all through the month of March and is tied to a tree that makes fruits. It is believed that this will bring wealth to the houses of those people. They also say that if you make a wish while tying the trinket to the tree, your wish will come true. In Transylvania , the trinkets are being tied to doors, windows, the horns of domestic animals, as this will chase the bad spirits away.
Mărțișors nowadays come in a multitude of colors and designs, each with its own unique meaning and symbolism. While red and white remain the traditional colors, modern Mărțișors may incorporate additional hues and materials to reflect contemporary tastes and styles. Here are some common Mărțișor colors and their associated meanings:
Red and White: The classic Mărțișor colors symbolize life, vitality, and purity. They represent the transition from winter to spring and the hope for a prosperous year ahead.
Gold and Silver: Mărțișors adorned with gold or silver accents are considered especially valuable and may symbolize wealth, success, and good fortune.
Floral Designs: Mărțișors featuring flowers, particularly red and white blossoms, evoke the beauty of spring and the renewal of nature.
Animal Motifs: Some Mărțișors include animal symbols like birds or butterflies, representing the awakening of wildlife as winter recedes.
Traditional Charms: Traditional charms such as horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, and sun motifs are believed to bring luck and protection.
Personalized Mărțișors: Many people choose to personalize Mărțișors with initials or names, making them unique gifts for loved ones.
The trinket attached to the string can vary, from small symbolic hearts and four-leaf clovers to diamond-encrusted brooches or anything of the above. The Mărțișor is more about the symbol and less about the value of the trinket; therefore the majority of people choose the buy more basic but meaningful designs.
Hope you enjoyed reading this and looking forward to share more soon.
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Happy Mărțișor! with love from Transylvania,
A.
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