Happy M?r?i?or 2022! A Special Day in Romania – The symbol of Spring and the revival of nature

(Romanian pronunciation: [m?rt?si??or])

M?r?i?or?is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on?March 1st. The name?M?r?i?or?is a diminutive of March (Martie?in Romanian). M?r?i?or is an observance and not a public holiday in Romania.

M?r?i?or or Martenitsa?(Romanian pronunciation: [m?rt?si??or]) is a celebration at the beginning of spring, on March the 1st in Romania, Moldova and all territories inhabited by Romanians.

The most common tradition associated with this festival is the M?r?i?or, which are?red and white threads tied in a bow and attached to a small trinket. The M?r?i?or will be on sale in every town and village and they are bought as gifts for the female family members.

But M?r?i?or is not entirely a Romanian tradition. Although many people celebrate this beautiful tradition in Moldova and Romania, similar holidays can be found in Bulgaria, Albania, or Italy.

Some say that M?r?i?or celebrations date back as far as 8000 years ago. It is believed that the celebration stems from Roman origins, while others claim that it is a tradition of the Dacians, an ancient group of people who lived in and around the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. Both the Romans and Dacians celebrated New Year’s Day in early March, which also marked the start of the spring season in the northern hemisphere.

Red and white threads, known as “?nur” in Romanian, are tied to small gifts to be given to friends and family members. These symbolize friendship and appreciation.

It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year.

Not long ago, in the countryside, people used to celebrate the M?r?i?or by hanging a red and white string at their gate, window, cattle's horn and shed to protect against evil spirits and to invoke nature's regenerative power.

Initially, the "M?r?i?or" string was 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 and the unity of opposites: light and dark, warm and cold, life and death.

The?M?r?i?or?is the thread of the days in the year, spun by Baba Dochia (the Old Dochia), or the thread of one's life, spun at birth by the Fates (Ursitoare).

Baba Dochia is a figure identified with the arrival of spring. Legend has it that her son, Dragobete, married against her will. Upon finding out, she sent her new daughter-in-law to a nearby river to wash some black wool until it turns white. But no matter how hard she would try, the wool would not change colour, and the poor girl started crying, fearful that she would never see her husband again. Upon seeing this, Jesus came down to Earth and offered her a red flower to wash the wool with. When the girl returned to Baba Dochia with the wool as white as fresh snow, she believed that Spring has arrived, so she left with her flock for Ceahlau in the Carpathian Mountains, wearing nine wool coats. As she advanced higher on the mountain, the weather got warmer each day, and she dropped her coats one by one. But as soon as she let go of her last coat, the weather turned bad and Baba Dochia froze on the mountain, together with her flock.

White symbolises purity, the sum of all colours, and light, while black symbolises origins, distinction, fecundation and fertility, being the colour of fertile soil. White is the sky, the Father, while black is the mother of all, Earth.

In eastern Romania (?Moldova?and?Bucovina), the red and white string was complemented with a small, gold or silver, coin. After wearing the coin for twelve days, the women would buy fresh cheese with it hoping that their skin would be healthy and beautiful the entire year.

According to archaeological research, the M?r?i?or traces its history more than 8,000 years ago. Some ethnologists believe that the M?r?i?or celebration has Roman origins, others support the theory that it is an old Dacian tradition.

March ('Martius') was named in the honor of the god Mars. Mars was not only the god of war but also the god of agriculture, which contributes to the rebirth of vegetation. The Dacians also celebrated New Years' on the first day of March. Ample spring celebrations were consecrated to this event.

In the old times, M?r?i?or were made of small river pebbles, coloured in white and red, stringed on a thread and worn around the neck. They were worn, to bring good luck and good weather, from March 1 until the first trees would bloom. When the first trees were flowering the M?r?i?or were hanged on tree branches.

A legend of ‘M?r?i?or’ says the Sun, transformed into a young man, came down to the village but was taken away and locked by an evil dragon. Everything went sad: birds did not sing anymore, springs were not flowing, children did not laugh anymore. Nobody dared to confront the dragon, until one day when a young man went to the dragon’s castle and fought him. After defeating the dragon, the Sun was released and everyone was happy, as nature revived. However, the brave young man did not live to see the spring. Blood poured out of his wounds onto the snow. That is why young people started weaving two threads, red and white, and to offer them to their loved ones.

Nowadays, on March 1, Romanians buy silky red-white threads?(?nur)?tied into a bow to which a small trinket is attached and offer them to their (female) family members, friends and colleagues to show friendship, respect or admiration.

In modern times, and especially in urban areas, the “M?r?i?or” lost most of its talisman properties and became more a symbol of friendship, love, appreciation and respect, but also a real marketing industry, with people queuing to buy the lovely talismans to offer to the dear ones. Wide fairs are held throughout the country on M?r?i?or, with craftsmen, designers and freelance artists competing to lure customers to buy their original M?r?i?or pieces, some of them handmade talismans or original jewels.

A folkloric myth associates the?9 coats of Baba Dochia?with the first nine days of March. It is said that the spirit of Baba Dochia haunts the earth Between March 1st and March 9th, bringing snowstorms and cold weather.

?Tradition has it that on the first day of March, women have to pick one of the first nine days of the month as their bab? (hag). If the day they chose turns out to be warm and pleasant, then they will age beautifully and their spirit will be forever young. But if the day turns out to be cold, then they will turn bitter and turn into a hag.

Options are plentiful and can range from simple red and white cord bracelets to precious stones and luxurious pieces of jewellery. It all depends on the buyer’s budget and imagination, but also on what impression he wants to leave. A unique and ingenious handmade accessory will make your grandma’s heart sing with joy, while little girls will love the cute, colourful figurines. Overall, it’s a game that everyone enjoys, and a beautiful way to welcome Spring.

Women wear the M?r?i?or all March, as it is believed to bring strength and health for the year to come. Some women pin one or more 'martisoare' on their blouse, while others just wear a red-white lace on their wrist. At the end of March, the red-white threads are tied to a branch of a fruit tree, said to bring wealth.?

On March 8, Romanians have another celebration - Women’s Day. It’s the day when, as a sign of respect and gratitude, all women should receive flowers and gifts.

Wishing you all a Happy M?r?i?or and a most wonderful Spring 2022!