Little March
The tradition of the "March"
(Martisor) is a heritage from our Roman ancestors. The Romanian word "Martisor"
has a Latin origin and it is the popular name of the month March. This
custom is all over the country and it begins on the first of March, the
day of the first old woman Mother Carey.
At the beginning of this
custom the "March" was a golden or silvery coin on a cord made of two twisted
threads - one red and one white, and children were wearing round their
necks. It was a faith that their "March" could attract the good luck.
The girls were wearing the
"March" till the rose was in blossom, then they put the thread round a
tree trunk and with the coin they bought cheese in order to have a white
and nice face all the summer time. They made the cord themselves.
After some time a nicely
colored bead changed the coin. In some parts of the country the "March"
was wearing round the wrist all over the month, before the sunrise the
girls knotted it on a brunch of a tree or on a bush of rose. They have
the faith that all their wishes would be carried out.
In the other parts of the
country on the 1st of March children were wearing a "March" a round their
neck and after some days they caught it in a tree. There was the faith
that if the tree would be good during that year the child who was wearing
it would be good too.
Nowadays "March" is a nice
symbol of the coming spring and manufacture becomes a real art. People
offer it with much pleasure to other people for love, for admiration, for
respect and esteem especially to women and girls.
Otilia Stanciu
Duiliu Zamfirescu School
Focsani, Romania
Teacher: Petru Dumitru
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