1st march Preda Daria-Customs and Traditions in Romania-Martisor

Martisor-Customs and Traditions in Romania

1. 1st March Student: Preda Daria Maria 8th Grade A

2. ~ Martisor Mărţişor  is the traditional celebration of the beginning of the spring , on the 1st of March. The day's name is the diminutive of March (in Romanian Martie ), and thus means something like "little" or "dear March".Mărţişor is the symbol of spring and also a celebration on the first of March. Its beginnings are still a mystery, but it is usually said that it originated in ancient Rome, because New Year's Eve was celebrated on the 1st of March ( Martius ), the month of the war god Mars. He had a double role: both protector of agriculture and of war, so the celebration signified the rebirth of nature. The duality of symbols is kept in the colours of the Mărţişor : white and red, meaning peace and war (it might also symbolize winter and spring).

3. Nowadays, men offer women a talisman object also called Mărţişor , consisting of a jewel or a small decoration like a flower, an animal or a heart, tied to a red and white string. A woman wears it pinned to her blouse on this day and up to two weeks after. Women also offer it to other women and only occasionally to men. However, giving a little nickel tied to a red and white string is an old custom and was originally designated for both men and women.

4. It was believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come. The decoration is a symbol of the coming spring. In some parts of Romania such as Moldova or Bukovina the symbol of spring was a gold or silver medal which was worn around the neck. After wearing the coin for twelve days, they bought sweet cheese with the medal, because it was believed that their faces would remain beautiful and white the entire year. This custom can be found in all areas where Romanians live. Bulgarian neighbours also have an almost identical tradition on the 1 March, called " Martenitsa ".

5. The Martisor Amulet Tradition Martisors are small tokens of friendship or love given on the Martisor holiday. Traditionally, martisors have been given by men to the women in their lives, who then wear the martisor pinned to their blouses. But March 1st in Romania and Moldova is not just about love, and martisors have meaning that, some believe, can be traced back thousands of years.In the past, martisors were made with black and white threads to signify the opposing forces of the world: good and evil, life and death, darkness and light. This tradition persists in some regions, though it has largely been replaced with the colors of love. Today, martisors are made with red and white threads. The red color symbolizes blood and womanhood and the white color represents the male spirit and snow, their combination meaningful for relationships.

6. Martisors may be nothing but twisted or woven threads, but often a small medallion or coin is attached, giving the amulet individual character. In some cases, the medallion or decorative part of the martisor may eclipse the red-and-white threads that are integral to the piece. This medallion can take the form of a blossom, a shell, a ladybug, a heart, or any other shape the maker prefers. Wearing the Martisor Traditionally, martisors are worn for a specific period of time. In some regions, they are worn for the first 12 days of March; in others, the wearer keeps them until the end of March or the first sign of spring. Like the  martenitsa tradition   of Bulgaria, martisors , once worn, may be transferred to a blossoming tree as a way of acknowledging the onset of spring.

7. Mărţişor is the symbol of spring and also a celebration on the first of March. Its beginnings are still a mystery, but it is usually said that it originated in ancient Rome, because New Year's Eve was celebrated on the 1st of March ( Martius ), the month of the war god Mars. He had a double role: both protector of agriculture and of war, so the celebration signified the rebirth of nature. The duality of symbols is kept in the colours of the Mărţişor : white and red, meaning peace and war (it might also symbolize winter and spring). Nowadays, men offer women a talisman object also called Mărţişor , consisting of a jewel or a small decoration like a flower, an animal or a heart, tied to a red and white string. A woman wears it pinned to her blouse on this day and up to two weeks after. Women also offer it to other women and only occasionally to men. However, giving a little nickel tied to a red and white string is an old custom and was originally designated for both men and women. It was believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come. The decoration is a symbol of the coming spring.

8. Mărțișor ,  marț  and  mărțiguș  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 )  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. 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. After wearing it for a certain period of time, they buy red wine and sweet cheese with the coin, according to a belief that their faces would remain beautiful and white as cheese, and rubicund as the red wine, for the entire year.

9. In modern times, and especially in urban areas, the Mărțișor lost most of its talisman 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.

10. The Dacians (Romanians' ancestors) believed these amulets brought fertility, beauty and prevented sunburns and they wore them when the trees started blooming and they were later hung on the tree twigs. Folklore scientists found Martisor variants in the ancient civilization as well and they think they are directly related to God Mars' heralds, because it was on Mars ides when snow was not melted yet throughout the Roman Empire, when military campaigns could start. Therefore, red and white means exactly that day, as well as vitality and victory, on one hand and purification and inauguration on the other. It was also said that white and red were strong amulets against evil eye and a token of purity and innocence. The Romanian folkloric tradition also relates Martisor to the legend of Baba Dochia . Martisor custom is part of the ritual scenario of the time's renewal, Dochia's symbolic death and birth. According to other traditions it was even Dochia who was spinning the threads while she was driving the sheep back up to the mountains. Thus, because Martisor is inseparable from Dochia tradition in the Carpathians we can certainly say it is a very old Romanian custom found in all the areas where Romanians and Aromanians live, later taken over by other south-eastern European peoples. 

11. The spring token is worn for a week or two, on outer garments. Archaeological discoveries revealed that the first spring day was celebrated even 8,000 years ago. Roman time's Martisor were white and red pebbles in a string. Likewise, in ancient times, they were coins tied by black and white wool threads. Gold, silver or bronze coins were chosen depending on the social status. They were worn round the neck or the wrist and were later named marts or martigus (diminutives for March).

12. 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. 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). 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.