Mărţişor Brings Hope and Good Luck in Romania

The tiny “mărţişor” may be a symbol of Spring, but, for Romanian girls, it’s much more than that. I remember when we used to count how many we received from our friends and colleagues in school – a way to determine “popularity” back then. Today, this is one of the dearest traditions in Romania, kept faithfully, and safeguarded of all wrongs.

The word Mărțișor literary means “little March” and it depicts a gift accompanied by a red (for vitality) and white (for wisdom) string. This gift is a symbol of renewal and rebirth, but also of hope, good luck and wealth. The custom calls for a little bunch of Spring flowers, like snowdrops and hyacinths, but the small trinkets are treasured most of all. The tradition goes back more than 8,000 years – believed to have Roman and Daco-Thracian origins, depending on the archaeological finds.

Beyond the tradition, Mărţişor is an occasion, for many artists, to express their creativity in miniatures. Galeria Dalles, in Bucharest, has opened its doors with a special exhibition dedicated to Mărţişor, featuring ceramic trinkets, glass, carved wood, gold and silver trinkets, but also sugar or spices, personalized marzipan sweets and Italian chocolate. There is also a very interesting photographic exhibition by Mugur Varzaiu, “Stop Wasting Another Generation”, which portrays the daily life of Roma children and their living conditions in Romania.

Still in Bucharest, the Village Museum will be holding special interactive workshops designed around Mărţişor and its traditions. The workshops are opened for children of all ages, and will last till March 3. The puporse is to teach younger generation about Mărţişor, and what the symbol means in relation to the origin of the Romanian Villages.

The Antipas Museum has Mărţişor workshops for children aged 8 to 12 years, teaching them how to use paper twist technique to create greeting cards and trinkets.

And just to show you how big this thing is in Romania, if you are a woman driver, don’t be surprised if the road traffic police stops you today. It’s all for good: they just want to give you a flower and a Mărţişor. Pay back with a smile, and drive safe!