One of the biggest pleasures growing up and one of the most pleasant days in school has always been March 1st. That is because on March first you offer and you receive little Spring talismans that we call “marţişoare”. Each year on the previous day to March 1st I would get all of them out and pick some for every teacher, classmate and friend on the block. The “marţişor” is a beautiful Romanian tradition made out of a red and white thread and a small charm in various shapes: flowers, animals and the very classic four-leaf clover, ladybug and chimney sweep. “Marţişor” is also the traditional name of the month of March and can be translated by “Little March”. The little talisman is considered a symbol of Spring and is associated with the idea of a new beginning, of life and fertility. Usually the ladies are the ones that receive them but I used to give this kind of charms to all my friends. It’s a beautiful tradition and I used to wear one pinned on my jacket next to my heart all month long. Now I usually wear the red and white thread around my wrist and at the end of the month I break it and tie it to a branch in a tree. It is said that if the tree blooms beautifully your year will be prosperous. Some people wear it only until March 8th (Mother’s/Women’s day in Romania) others for two weeks, some wear it all month.

Another joy this celebration brought to me was getting all the charms my parents received from the children in school. It was so fun looking at them and analyzing each, sorting and putting them away for next year.

As I said above March 8 is also very important in Romania. It’s mother’s and women’s day. This is the day when all women receive flowers, it is so beautiful. Our male classmates/work mates were always spoiling us with flowers and chocolate on this day and we always gave them something in return: something sweet or pizza. It was a celebration in its full right.

And to finish it off in style: don’t forget to pick an “old lady” or as it is said in Romanian “o babă”. The first 9 days of March are called like that, you have to pick one and, if the weather is sunny your year will be joyful, if it is cloudy it will be a bit more difficult. With me being in Sweden I have all the chances of picking a snowy one, rain and snow are bad omen, or so they say. If it is raining in the morning you have a gloomy start of the year but by sunset it can become clear so your year will end in a cheerful way, or the other way around. It is said that these old ladies are taking off their 9 coats after Winter and if it snows it is because they are shaking them and the last traces of snow are falling off before they put the coats away. This tradition takes us back to the time of the Dacians so it is very old and extremely beautiful.

So now you know a bit about Romanian Spring traditions. I hope you like them, they’re very simple but have a lot of meaning. I am sure that in other parts of the country there are more and some are a bit different but these come from where I grew up. And I respect them. It’s folklore.