Martisor

Where I come from, spring is a spectacular event, nothing less than amazing. After a long and severe winter, at some point in March, the first snowdrops pop up here and there, telling the world that the nature is about to wake up again. And what an awakening that is! Flowers, bugs, plants, birds, bees, trees burst with such an incredible energy that every year for a few weeks everyone suddenly becomes much younger. The change is dramatic and the nature goes absolutely crazy.

Of course, the beginning of the spring had to be celebrated somehow. The tradition is called “Martisor” and it might have been around since the ancient Rome. The closest translation for “Martisor” that I can think of is “dear or little March”. On the first of March, men offer women little good luck charms consisting of small symbolic objects (flowers, horseshoes, hearts, etc.) tied to a red and white string. It was believed that those wearing the small amulet will be healthy and wealthy for the year to come. I wonder why only women get to wear it though… Surely men want to be prosperous as well, maybe sometimes even more than women. Never mind…
I found two fantastic pieces of music, telling the glorious story of the spring. It won’t mean much to you unless you speak Romanian, but who knows. The artist is Tudor Gheorghe.

Tudor Gheorghe - Salcamii



Tudor Gheorghe - Primavara