Mărţişor Day celebrations all over the country

A generic symbol in today’s urban and rural areas, the mărţişor is made out of two red and white strings, tied to a hand-made object, and given to girls and ladies who wear it on their chest for one day or several.

Romanians would celebrate the start of spring on the 1st of March, which, in Romanian, comes from the name of the god Mars, the agricultural guardian, who represented the rebirth of nature.

It is said that the mărţişor brings luck and happiness.

They’re made out of a red and white string, the red – stands for the winter, the white – for spring. Talismans are added to the cord, like four leaf clovers, horse shoes, chimney sweepers or hearts.

Tradition says that the mărţişor string was threaded by Baba Dochia while she was taking the sheep to the mountains. Just like the thread of life, Dochia threads the string of the newly born year with the start of spring.

The mărţişor is an old Romanian custom, found in all areas occupied by Romanians and Aromanians, and then other peoples from Center and South-Eastern Europe were influenced by the custom too.

Mărţişor markets in Bucharest

In Bucharest, they celebrated mărţişor with traditional markets, like they do every year.
Between 25 February and 1 March, there is a Mărţişor Market at the Romanian Peasant Museum.

Approximately 300 skilled peasants, plastic artists and students presented a wide selection of products, from a recession mărţişor to food products like ginger bread, comfitures, zacuscă, Alexandria and Baia Mare cookies or honey.

From 24 February to 8 March, the Dalles Gallery will host the Spring Fest.

Besides the mărţişor, you can also find engravings and 3D post cards, interior and garden decorations, flowers and jewelry, sweets and music, books and indoor games.

Big mall mărţişor markets were also on the list.

Mărţişor Exhibitions in the country

Between 1 and 8 March, there will be an exhibition with pupil made mărţişoare, made by Galati schools.

The "Salonul Mărţişorului" exhibition has humanitarian purposes; the money from the sold mărţişoare will be donated to a nine year old girl, Oprea Simona, who suffers from cancer.

According to Radio Romania reporter, Maria Mândiţă, the price of a mărţişor is less than 2 lei.

Along with the handmade objects by Galati pupils, there are also postcards and mărţişoare from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy and the Republic of Moldova.

Pupils from the Palanca school in Bacău celebrated the start of spring differently, originally even, through naive art.

Naive painter, Ioan Maric was the guest of the Mărţişor Celebration, put together by teacher Dumitru Cojocaru and the entire school.

The artist brought 150 works for the exhibition, a delight for his hosts.

The Mărţişor Celebration started at 12:00, according to Radio Romania reporter Florin Filioreanu.

The Nr. 10 Kindergarten kids, along with Protoeria Constanţa organized a social activity.

The young ones made mărţişoare, which they sold to buy food to donate for the social canteen.

Approximately 50 students from the area will be the canteen beneficiaries.

The children from the Agigea Day Centre thought about bringing joy to those who were lonely.

They visited the elderly home, to give mărţişoare to ladies, Mona Constantinescu, from Radio Romania told us.

Google - made into a mărţişor

On the first day of spring, the search engine’s logo became a white and red string – the traditional mărţişor.

Even though we do not know for sure when the custom appeared, we do know that the first day of spring was celebrated as early as 8,000 years ago, and the mărţişor originates from the beliefs and agricultural practices of that era.

Translated by: Ciocanel Tudor Alexandru,

MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University