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Romanian Spring Traditions
The Romanian holidays announcing the coming of spring have just passed. So maybe this would be a good time for Romanians to take a moment and think about the meanings of the celebrations they engaged themselves in. This is also a good opportunity for foreign people interested in Romania to find out more about its background. The holidays are a good place to start exploring the depths of the Romanian heritage.
The 1st of March represents the official beginning of spring worldwide.
The whole universe is coming to life after a long and harsh winter.
People are starting to spend as much time as possible outdoors, are
more optimistic and just cannot get enough of the sun. How could you
not take the opportunity of celebrating such a miracle of nature?
Romanians are no exception and cheerfully welcome the coming of spring.
In order to officially acknowledge this event, the local custom here is
for men to give all the women in their lives a “Martisor” which is a
sort of lucky charm that symbolizes the spring season. It is supposed
to protect those who wear it and bring them happiness and good luck.
The lucky charm can consist of a coin, a jewel, a flower or a cute
animal which are tied to a red and white string. But few Romanians are
aware of the actual origins of this tradition.
According to the old Roman calendar, the 1st of March was the first day
of the year. Therefore, the celebration of this day was originally
related to the beginning of a new year and not to the coming of spring
as it is considered today. Romans thus brought a tribute to the God
Mars, who allegedly was the father of the founder of Rome. In fact, the
word “Martisor” is a diminutive deriving from the word “Martie” (which
is Romanian for “March”). Moreover, “Martisor” is also the regional
name for “March”, coming from the Latin “Martius”.
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