"Mărțișoare" - symbols of spring

The month of March begins with a celebration. Romanians celebrate the coming of spring in a special way, through ‘Mărțișor’.

‘Mărțișorul’, celebrated on the 1st of March- which according to old calendar was also considered as the beginning of the new year - is a tradition inherited from Roman ancestors. The word itself has Latin roots and it is the old name of March. Nowadays, ‘mărțișorul’ is a symbol of spring, of rebirth, life, fertility and continuity and it has become a true work of art. Its lace, made of twisted threads of red and white wool, represents the unity of opposites: spring-winter, heat-cold, light-dark.

On the 1^st of March, women usually receive ‘mărțișoare’; this symbolises men’s admiration and respect for women who wear them pinned to their clothes on this day and up to two weeks later. It was believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come.