Dear reader,
Do you know what a mărțișor is?
Have you ever heard of mărțișor or martenitsa?
A mărțișor is an object attached to a white and red thread (or string) given to men and boys, parents, teachers and other people with a high rank in Romania. At least, that used to be the case. Long passed.
Nowadays, everyone could get a mărțișor. Or not.
What object can be attached to this two-colours twisted together thread?
Any object, all objects you can think about.
Of course, one should pick something nice and small, because, when I was a child, mărțișor was supposed to be carried on the chest.
Now, we attach it to cards.
At first, a long, long time ago, this small object was simply a coin (no money value), then a lady beetle, a snowdrop, a clover leaf, a horseshoe etc.; all symbols of luck, health, wealth, and beauty.
A mărțior symbolises the arrival of spring and, as I wrote in this post, https://iliveisuffer.blogspot.com/2015/03/1-march-lovely-traditions.html, in Daco-Romanian folklore, seasons have symbolic colours: spring is red, summer is green or yellow, autumn is black, and winter is white.
Therefore, we can think that the string, knitted or twisted in white and red, is a symbol of passing from the cold white winter to the colourful spring. Is mărțișor a tradition reserved for Romania and Romanians only?
No.
Some time ago, a few years back, a Bulgarian friend gave me a bracelet made from twisting white and red thread together.
Mărțișor is martinka, martenitsa in Bulgarian.
I was shocked and so disappointed because I thought the tradition was ours. Just ours.
So, very selfish and childish.
Isn't it?
There are so many things we don't know. Too many. At least, I don't know.
But Macedonians have mărțișoare (plural in Romanian), too. And probably many more countries.
Well, it's a lovely tradition and I hope we never forget about it.
Or ignore it.
Oh, how much I used to love to give mărțișoare around. It was a huge deal back then, in the Golden Era. I wrote about it in „14 nuanțe de roșu = 14 nuances of red (Red = communism).
If you read Romanian, here you have a fragment from it that narrates this lovely Romanian tradition.
Today, the 1st of March, I offer you a beautiful mărțișor made only from a red and white thread, a woman and a man together in a tree.
No other object. Just them.
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| Photo from Pixabay |
Isn't it fabulous?
A bit funny, if you look closely at where the lady has her arm.
Bulgarians put the mărțișor in a tree and leave it there for the entire March, then... I think they bring it inside in the hope to meet their soulmate.
„There are trees with martenitsa everywhere,” said my friend.
From my understanding, martenitsa is more of a couples' tradition over there.
In Romania receiving and giving a mărțișor has this connotation too, but just for children.
I wish I got one now.
I haven't seen a mărțișor in a long, long time. Decades. Since I first left Romania in 2000.
The mărțișor above is for you. 💞🍀 🤍
I hope it brings you luck, health and love.
Legends have it that it doesn't matter how and where you wear it: on your chest and close to your heart, on your wrist, on a piece of paper, or you attach to a tree, a mărțișor attracts only good things in your life.
Give it to others, it shows appreciation and good intentions.
Love, perhaps?
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Credit pictures
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