Mărţişor: Welcoming the Spring

Mărţişor is a traditional celebration of the beginning of Spring. It is a symbol of friendship and love, appreciation and respect, given especially to women.

The name Mărţişor is the diminutive of the name for March (Martie, in Romanian), and thus literally means "little" or "dear March". (It is also the folk name for this month.) It is made with red and white string, from which a small decoration is tied, and which is offered by people on the 1st day of March. Usually, women wear it pinned to their blouses for the first days of this month.

Red is the color of fire, sun, blood, and the symbol of life, associated with the woman. White is the color of the cold snow, foamy waters, the clouds, and also of man's wisdom. The thread of the Mărţişor represents the union of the feminine and the masculine principles, the vital forces which give birth to the eternal cycle of the nature.