Mărțișor. Romanian traditions for the 1st of March

Mărțișor, an ancient Romanian tradition for the beginning of spring

Dear travelers, if you’re visiting Bucharest the last days of February, you will find plenty of outdoor markets. What’s going on?

It’s simple: we’re getting ready for the 1st of March, a very important traditional holiday in Romania (but also in the neighboring countries). For us, the 1st of March symbolizes the beginning of spring and if you’ve ever spent a winter in Bucharest and faced our snows, you’ll know locals always look forward to spring!

Following tradition, for the first day of March women receive special gifts, called mărțișor (plural: mărțișoare). Nowadays, these gifts come in a wide array of forms, but they are always accompanied by the traditional white and red threads. The threads symbolize at the same time the two seasons (winter and spring) and the fight between evil & good.

There are still a lot of girls and women who will wear the threads as a bracelet till the end of March, when they are going to tie it to a blossoming tree.

Beautiful tradition, isn’t it? The best way to find out more about Romanian traditions and our rich heritage, join me on a private day tour of Bucharest, including the visit of the wonderful Village Museum!