1march-Octavian.Romania-Traditions and Customs

1st March celebrated in Romania.

1. 1
st
March
Grigorescu Octavian Ioan
6
th
grade
Teacher : Giuran Daniela

2. Mări or
țș

(Romanian
pronunciation:
 [mər
tsior]) is an old
ʃ
Romanian
celebration at the
beginning of
spring, on March
the 1st, which
according to old
calendar was also
considered as the
beginning of the
new year.

3. The name Mări or
țș

is the diminutive of
mar
ț
, the old folk
name for March[5]
(Martie, in modern
Romanian), and
thus literally means
"little March". It is
also the folk name
for this month.

4. Mări or
țș
, mar
ț
and mărigu
ț ș
are all names
for the red and white string from which a
small decoration is tied, and which is
offered by people on the 1st day of March.
The string can also be black and white, or
blue and white)[6] Giving this talisman to
people is an old custom, and it is believed
that the one who wears the red and white
string will be strong and healthy for the
year to come. It is also a symbol of the
coming spring.

5. In ancient Rome, New Year's Eve was
celebrated on March 1 - 'Martius', as the
month was called in the honour of the god
Mars. Mars was not only the god of war but
also an agricultural guardian, who ensured
nature's rebirth. Therefore, the red and
white colours of Mări or may be explained
țș
as colours of war and peace.[9]

6. The Thracians also
used to celebrate the
New Year's Eve on the
first day of March, a
month which took the
name of the god
Marsyas Silen, the
inventor of the pipe
(fluier, traditional
musical instrument),
whose cult was related
to the land and
vegetation. Thracian
spring celebrations,
connected to fertility
and the rebirth of
nature, were
consecrated to him.

7. Initially, the Mări or
țș
string used to be
called the Year's Rope
(‘’funia anului’’, in
Romanian), made by
black and white wool
threads, representing
the 365 days of the
year. ‘'The Year's
Rope'’ was the link
between summer and
winter, black and white
representing the
opposition but also the
unity of the contraries:
light and dark, warm
and cold, life and
death.

8. The ‘’Mări or’’ is the thread of the days in
țș
the year, spun by Baba Dochia (the Old
Dochia), or the thread of one's life, spun at
birth by the Fates (Ursitoare).[11] White is
the symbol of purity, the sum of all the
colours, the light, while Black is the colour
of origins, of distinction, of fecundation and
fertility, the colour of fertile soil. White is the
sky, the Father, while black is the mother of
all, Mother Earth.

9. Romanian ethnographers consider Mări or
țș
and Martenitsa to be clearly related, and of
Thracian origin.[15] According to one of the
several proposed legends about the
Martenitsa in Bulgaria, the custom has
roots in the late seventh century. This
legend, first attested in the 20th century,
says that the Bulgar Khan Asparukh
wanted to send a message to Bulgars
across the Danube. He tied his letter with a
white string to the leg of a white pigeon.

10. Roumanian Traditions
Spring Equinox
According to the old folk calendar, March 1 was the spring equinox and
March 9 was the beginning of the new agrarian year. For this reason,
many of the traditions occur during the first nine days of March, beginning
on March 1.
Mărţişor
The traditional mărţişor (plural: mărţişoare) amulet is a symbol of the
people's joy in welcoming the spring season. It is made according to a
specific pattern that is today often poorly duplicated by street vendors
hoping to make an easy profit.
Folk tradition says that whoever wears the amulet will be healthy and
lucky.
Old Mărţişor
For many years, mothers made the mărţişor amulet by twisting together
two threads made of spun wool. One of the threads was always pure
white, symbolizing winter. The other thread was either red or blue or black
(depending on the region), symbolizing summer.
Many of the following traditions are no longer practiced.

11. To be Free as a Bird
Spring amulets were worn by
adults and young men. If a man
threw his amulet after a bird, he
would become as free and easy
as that bird.
Old Women's Days
Anciently, the first nine days of
March were known as the "old
women's days" (see Dochia
below).
Nine-Day Amulet for Children
Before sunrise on March 1,
mothers offered the amulet to
their children, both boys and girls,
to be worn around their wrist or
neck for the first nine days of
March.
Nine-Day Amulet for Men
In some regions, men wore a
mărţişor only during the first nine
days of March.
In other regions, men wore the
amulet until the roses or cherries
bloomed.

12. Luck from Fruit Tree
In either case, after the amulet
was removed, the men tied it on
one of the branches of a fruit tree.
If the tree then bore fruit, the man
who tied his mărţişor there would
receive good luck.
Protection from Evil Spirits
In addition, many villagers tied a
mărţişor to the horns of their cows
or on the stable gate. This was
done to protect the household
from evil spirits who emerged on
March 1.
Decorative Coins for Girls
A gold or silver coin (or
sometimes a medallion) was often
attached to one of the threads of a
girl's mărţişor. The coins had a
protective function and were
intended to be kept until St.
George Day (April 23).
Feminine Beauty Secret
On St. George Day the girl used
her coin to buy fresh cheese and
red wine (in order for her skin to
be as white as the cheese and for
her cheeks to blush like the red
wine).

13. Modern Mărţişor
Today, a true mărţişor is made by hand by men. It consists of two threads
braided together, one white and one red. Then a handmade object of the
man's choosing is attached at one of the ends. The object is often a small
decorative ceramic tile with a painting of a flower, animal, or other subject.
Sometimes, the object is a special kind of jewel.
Symbol of Love
On March 1st, men offer their mărţişor to a woman or to a girl to be worn
either pinned on her blouse or around her neck. The amulet is often
accompanied by a bouquet of flowers to show the man's love.
Dochia
The first nine days of March are linked to the ancient tradition of the
goddess Dochia, an agrarian deity who dies every March 1 and reawakens
on March 9 (spring equinox on the old calendar).
There are at least three versions of the nine day legend of Dochia. The nine
days ends with Women's Day on March 8 and Men's Day on March 9.
Dochia's Nine Snow Coats
In one version of the legend, the elderly Dochia decided to climb up into the
Carpathians with her son, Dragobete. Because it was still cold in the
mountains, she put on nine

14. Sheds Her Nine Coats
Unfortunately, it had been raining
for nine days and nine nights
before she set out. It wasn't long
before her coats were heavily
weighted down with rain and snow
that had soaked through all of her
coats. To ease the weight, Dochia
began taking off her coats one at a
time.
Why March Weather is
Changeable
Tradition claims that this is the
reason March has such
changeable weather ... it is due to
old Dochia shaking the rain and
snow out of her coats as she
climbs the mountainside.
Mother-In-Law Dochia
In another version of the legend,
the elderly Dochia was an evil
mother-in-law.
Daughter-In-Law Gathers Berries
On the first day of March, because
Dochia didn't want to go out in the
cold herself, she sent her
daughter-in-law into the mountains
to gather strawberries.

15. Receives Basketful of
Strawberries
On the road up the
mountainside, the girl met an
old man who gave her a whole
basket of strawberries.
Dochia Thinks Spring Has
Arrived
When old Dochia saw her
daughter-in-law carrying all
those strawberries, Dochia
thought surely spring had
arrived. And that meant that it
was time to move the sheep
to higher ground for summer
grazing.
Wears Nine Coats
She had been warned by
shepherds of bad weather
high up in the mountains, so
Dochia put on her nine coats
(twelve of them in the version
told in Moldavia and
Bucovina), took her sheep,
and headed off into the
Carpathians.

16. Makes March Angry
Before she left her house, the god March had also tried to warn her that
spring had not yet arrived. Just because her daughter-in-law had returned
with fresh strawberries didn't mean it was spring. She argued with March,
which made him angry.
So March borrowed some bad weather from his brother, February, and set it
atop the mountains.
Sheds Nine Coats
As she climbed through the foothills, where the weather was still quite warm,
she began shedding her coats, one by one. She shed one coat each day
she climbed higher into the mountains.
Unfortunately, instead of carrying them with her, she decided that the
shepherds and the god March who had warned her of bad weather must
have been mistaken. So she discarded her coats on the mountainside as
she took them off.
But after nine days she neared the top of the mountains, where it was still
very much into winter. She had foolishly set out too soon, thinking spring
had arrived. Of course, spring had arrived in the valleys, but winter still
clung to the mountaintops.

17. Dochia and Sheep Turned to
Stone
Rain and frost rolled across the
barren mountaintop and old
woman Dochia and her sheep
froze right where they stood ...
turning them into ice statues.
Later, the blocks of ice that
were her and her sheep turned
into stone.
Origin of Babele on Mtns.
Bucegi
Legend has it that this is how a
group of rock outcroppings
known as Babele (the old
women) came into existence
atop the Bucegi Mountains
above the town of Busteni.
Today many tourists enjoy
riding a tram (telecabina) from
Busteni up into the Bucegi
Mountains to view Babele ...
and another rock formation
called Sfinxul (for its
resemblance to the Sphinx
found in Egypt).

18. Dochia the Beautiful
Empress
There are a few scattered
traditions that present Dochia
as a beatiful girl who was the
daughter of a powerful
emperor. One day, however,
her emperor father was
defeated by his enemies and
he sent his daughter into
hiding.
She took nine (or twelve) wool
coats with her to disguise her
as an old woman.
Accompanied by her sheep,
she escaped into the
mountains. Because she
never heard from her father
again, she never knew
whether it was safe to return
from the mountains.
Unfortunately, when she was
an old woman, she died
during a severe March storm.
She had met a tragic end,
freezing to death.

19. Dochia the Beautiful Empress
There are a few scattered traditions that present Dochia as a
beatiful girl who was the daughter of a powerful emperor.
One day, however, her emperor father was defeated by his
enemies and he sent his daughter into hiding.
She took nine (or twelve) wool coats with her to disguise her
as an old woman. Accompanied by her sheep, she escaped
into the mountains. Because she never heard from her father
again, she never knew whether it was safe to return from the
mountains.
Unfortunately, when she was an old woman, she died during
a severe March storm. She had met a tragic end, freezing to
death.

20. Predictions
Summer Forecast
Romanians pay careful
attention to how the
weather is on March 1
because it's believed to be
an accurate forecast for
how the weather will be
throughout the spring and
summer.
Don't Make Dochia Angry
People don't want to be
caught unaware like Old
Dochia. And they don't
want to make Old Dochia
angry by working on this
day, lest Dochia send bad
weather their way.

21. Personal Luck Predictor
Some time before March 1,
women choose one of the
nine days as their personal
luck predictor. Whatever
the weather is like on their
personal day is an
indicator of their luck for
the year — bad weather
portends bad luck and
good weather predicts a
lucky year.
Personality Predictor
Other legends use the
weather on a young girl's
chosen day to predict her
personality.
Beauty Predictor
On March 1, girls should
wash their faces with water
from melted snow. This will
ensure a clean and bright
face throughout the
upcoming year.

22. Every year the festive day of March 1
brings back to us renewed hopes,
confidence, faith in good fortune and a
prosperous life. It is life, spring and the
shining sun which win the battle against
chilly weather, overcast skies and the nasty
days of the Babe (the first 9 days in
March).
This triumph of rebirth and regeneration
could not be better embodied but in the
Martisor ( a trinket, March amulet) offered
to loved ones in early spring.

23. The Martisor is
offered early
morning on the first
day of March; it
used to be worn for
9-12 days,
sometimes until the
first tree would
bloom when it was
hung on a
flowering branch to
bring good luck to
its bearer.

24. The Martisor was a present
that Romanians sent to
each other on the first day
of March, traditionally a
gold coin suspended on a
white-and-red braided
thread with a silk tassel.
The recipient used to wear
it around his neck until he
would see a blooming rose
and the present was then
placed on its branch; in this
way Spring was poetically
welcomed. The coin
symbolized prosperity, the
white-and-red thread, a
metaphor of a person's
face white as a lily and
rosy as a rose.
 

25. In the folk tradition of the Carpathian
mountain villages the Martisor was
known as Drogobete, that time of the
year when young women used to
wash their face in "snow water" for
getting "clean, pretty and white as the
snow".
 

26. In Bihor folk people believed that the rain
water collected on March 1, and during the
nine days of the Babe would make one
handsome and healthy, while in Banat it
was customary for young women to gather
snow or water from wild berry leaves and
wash their face with it spelling the magic
words of the Drogobete for love:
"Wild berry flower of March/ make me dear
to everyone/ send away from me any
harm".

27. In the villages of
Transilvania, the red-
and-white wool yarn
Martisor was pinned
on gates, windows,
sheepfolds, tied
around the horns of
cattle, around the
handle of buckets to
protect from the evil
eye and malefic
spirits; it was believed
that the red "color of
life" could be an
inducer of vitality and
regeneration.

28. In Dobrogea, the
Martisor was worn
until the arrival of
the white storks
when it was thrown
high up in the sky
for bringing
 
"great and winged
fortune " to its
bearer.

29. In modern times, and especially in urban
areas, the Mări or lost most of its talisman
țș
properties and became more of a symbol
of friendship or love, appreciation and
respect. The black threads were replaced
with red, but the delicate wool ropes are
still a ‘cottage industry’ among people in
the countryside, who comb out the wool,
dye the floss, and twist it into thousands of
tassels. In some areas the amulets are still
made with black and white ropes, for
warding off evil.

30. According to ancient Roman tradition, the
ides of March was the perfect time to
embark on military campaigns. In this
context, it is believed that the red string of
Mări or signifies vitality, while the white
țș
one is the symbol of victory.[12] Red is the
colour of fire, blood, and a symbol of life,
associated with the passion of women.
Meanwhile, white is the colour of snow,
clouds, and the wisdom of men.

31. In this interpretation,
the thread of a Mări or
țș
represents the union of
the feminine and the
masculine principles,
the vital forces which
give birth to the eternal
cycle of the nature.
Red and white are also
complementary
colours present in
many key traditions of
Daco-Romanian
folklore.

32. George Coşbuc
stated that Mări or
țș
is a symbol of fire
and light, and of
the Sun. Not only
the colours, but
also the traditional
silver coin hung
from the thread are
associated with the
sun.

33. White, the colour of silver, is also a
symbol of power and strength. The
round form of the coin is also
reminiscent of the Sun, while silver is
associated with the Moon. These are
just a few of the reasons why the
Mări or is a sacred amulet.
țș

34. It is also a symbol of the coming
spring. Usually, women wear it pinned
to their clothes for the first 12 days of
the month, until other spring
celebrations, or until the bloom of
certain fruit-trees. In some regions, a
gold or silver coin hangs on the string,
which is worn around the neck.

35. The Legend Of The Martisor
There was a time when the Sun used to
take the shape of a young man and
descend on Earth to dance among folk
people.
Now a dragon found out about this and
followed the Sun on Earth, captured him
and confined him in a dungeon in his
castle.

36. Suddenly the birds
stopped singing and
the children could not
laugh anymore but no
one dared to confront
the dragon.
One day a brave
young man set out to
find the dungeon and
free the Sun. Many
people joined in and
gave him strength and
courage to challenge
the mighty dragon.

37. The journey lasted
three seasons:
summer, autumn and
winter. At the end of
the third season the
brave young man
could finally reach the
castle of the dragon
where the Sun was
imprisoned. The fight
lasted several days
until the dragon was
defeated. Weakened
by his wounds the
brave young man
however managed to
set the Sun free to the
joy of those who
believed in him.

38. Nature was alive again, people got
back their smile but the brave young
man could not make it through spring.
His warm blood was draining from his
wounds in the snow. With the snow
melting, white flowers, called
snowdrops, harbingers of spring,
sprouted from the thawing soil.

39. When the last drop of the brave
young man's blood fell on the pure
white snow he died with pride that his
life served a noble purpose.
Since then people braid two tassels:
one white and one red. Every March 1
men offer this amulet called Martisor
to the women they love.

40. The red color
symbolizes love for
all that is beautiful
and also the blood
of the brave young
man, while white
represents purity,
good health and
the snowdrop, the
first flower of
spring.

41. Literally
Martisor means
little March: a
small trinket
pinned on the
lapel by which
winter is parted
and spring is
welcomed.

42. Mărţişor is an authentic Romanian
tradition celebrating the beginning of spring
on March 1.
The word Mărţişor is a diminutive from
March, something like "little March".
Each year, on the first of March, women
receive from men and children a small gift
called Mărţişor, as a token of appreciation
and a symbol of the coming spring.

43. The symbolic
part of the
Mărţişor is the
red and white
twisted, silk
string from
which a small
amulet is tied.

44. These amulets or
talismans are usually
handmade by artisans
and craftsmen and can
be any kind of figurines
of ceramics, dried
flowers encased in
plastic, fabric, a coin
and sometimes real
jewelry.
Some are placed in
beautiful, little boxes,
others are pinned to a
spring greeting card.

45. Mărţişors are usually not expensive but
these amulets often go together with a
bouquet of flowers. The delicate
snowdrops, the first flowers of spring, are
the favorites of this day.

46. In old times the Mărţişor string used to
be called year's rope ("funia anului"-in
Romanian) and was made of black
and white wool threads, representing
the 365 days of the year, black and
white representing the opposition and
also the unity of the contraries like
winter and the summer, light and dark,
cold and warmth.

47. There are many
stories and
legends about
the origin of this
very old tradition.
One of the
theories is that in
ancient Rome,
New Year's Eve
was celebrated
on March 1.

48. March was called
"Martius" in the honor
of the god Mars who
was not only the god
of war but also an
agricultural guardian,
who ensured nature's
rebirth. Therefor the
red and white colors
of Mărţişor may be
explained as colors of
war and peace.

49. Nowadays, the Mărţişor is just a
symbol of friendship and love but also
the herald of the so many upcoming
spring holidays like Mother's Day at
the 8th of March, then Easter
and ....you know the rest.

50. Happy 1
st
March Day !!!