Martisor is a holiday to welcome spring. What does the symbol of Martisor mean? March 1 is the Moldovan national holiday

19.04.2020

If in some countries it is customary to say goodbye to winter, then in Moldova it is customary to welcome spring. Every year on March 1st the Moldovan National holiday"Martisor". The tradition of celebrating “Martisor” was established by the distant ancestors of the Moldovans, who New Year celebrated with the arrival of spring. On this day, people give each other martisor (a symbol of clarity and happiness), this is a miniature red and white decoration in the form of all kinds of flowers, bells, beads, men, and hearts.

Martisor is also a source of pride for every Moldovan, pride that this symbol of spring, fertility, happiness and prosperity has settled in his homeland. Any resident of Moldova talks with admiration about the history of its appearance and the signs associated with it. Martisors are worn on clothes all month long, and in April you need to tie red and white talismans to a fruit tree and make a wish that will certainly come true. And if the tree on which you attached the martisor gives a rich harvest, it means that you will not miss happiness and love this year.

This beautiful tradition was born by legend. The legend about Martisor is passed down from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. Interpretations of this beautiful and good fairy tale various.

A long time ago, in time immemorial, a fragile flower with snow-white petals named Giochel - Snowdrop - appeared on earth. He grew up on a bare cogosor, when the sun first pierced the gray snow clouds with the golden arrows of its rays. Little Giochel was protected from the cold by the beautiful and kind sorceress Spring. The evil whirlwind-night owl Krivets heard about the brave flower. He flew out of his icy home with the intention of freezing the brave man who dared to cross the harsh law of his icy kingdom. The ferocious Krivets tore out a thorny rosehip from the ground and threw it out of frustration into the bright Spring, pricking her little finger. Hot scarlet blood splashed onto the ground and stained the white petals of Giochel. Each hot drop brought this delicate and fragile flower back to life. When Giochel’s strength returned, he joyfully announced the coming of Spring.”

On these same days the main music Festival country, which also bears the name “Martisor”. It has been celebrated from March 1 to 10 for 40 years. Amateur groups and professional artists from different countries are invited to the festival. "Martisor" in Moldova has long become the largest musical holiday. And because the idea of the spring awakening of nature is sweet to everyone, and because the wonderful red and white symbols of “Martisor” suit both politicians and creative people, the funny Martisors are worn by adults and children throughout March - this is a national holiday, beloved and necessary. For 18 years there has been a youth folk dance ensemble, a laureate of All-Union, All-Russian and international festivals, named in honor of the wonderful legend of Martisor.

Literature:
1. http://www.newcanada.com

In Romania, Moldova and some other countries, there is one wonderful spring custom that arose based on a legend from the time of the Dacians (the ancestors of the Romanian people who lived before the Roman Empire conquered the territory of modern southern Romania). On the first of March, all people give their loved ones or family and friends a small gift - Marcisor. These are two silk laces with tassels at the ends, woven together (one should be white and the other red) and some kind of decoration: a flower (usually a snowdrop), a heart or something else. In this way, people celebrate the arrival of spring, considering the first of March a kind of holiday of spring and love.
And the legend about Marcisor itself sounds like this.
One day the Sun descended in one village in the form young man to have some fun at the dance. The Evil Snake guarded him for a long time, and then stole him from among the people and locked him in his palace. The world is sad. The birds stopped singing, the springs stopped flowing and ringing, and the children forgot what fun and laughter were. The world plunged into sadness and despondency. And none of the residents dared to fight the terrible Serpent.
But there was one brave young man who volunteered to go and save the Sun. Many people equipped him on the road and gave him their strength so that he could overcome the Serpent and free the Sun. The journey lasted three seasons - all summer, all autumn and all winter. The guy found the Serpent's palace, and the battle began.
They fought for days until the young man defeated the Snake. Exhausted and wounded, the young man freed the Sun. It rose into the sky, cheering the whole world. Nature came to life, people rejoiced, but the brave young man did not have time to see spring. His warm blood flowed from the wound and flowed onto the snow. Where the snow melted, white flowers grew - snowdrops, the harbingers of spring. The last drop of blood fell on the white snow. A courageous young man has died.
Since then, in honor of the liberator of the world from darkness and sadness, young people have been weaving two thin cords with tassels: one white and one red. They give them to the girls they love, or to relatives and friends. The color red denotes love for all that is beautiful, reminiscent of the color of a young man's blood. The color white symbolizes the health and purity of the snowdrop, the first flower of spring.

***
According to one legend, on the first day of March, the beautiful Spring came out to the edge of the forest, looked around and saw a snowdrop emerging from under the snow in a clearing, in the thickets of thorns. She decided to help him and began to clear the ground around him, freeing him from the thorny branches. Winter saw this and became furious. She waved her hands and summoned a cold wind with snow to destroy the primrose. The weak flower wilted under the cruel wind. But Spring covered the sprout with her hands and pricked herself with a thorn. A drop of hot blood fell from her wounded hand, and the flower came to life. So Spring defeated Winter. The colors of Martisor symbolize her red blood on the white snow.

The history of Martisor remains a mystery. It is said that this holiday originated during the Roman Empire, when the New Year was celebrated on March 1, the month of Mars. He was not only the god of war, but also the god of agriculture, promoting the revival of nature. This duality is reflected in Martisor, where white and red can be understood as symbols of peace and war.

Archaeological excavations in Romania prove that amulets, like the modern Mărtisor, existed almost 8 thousand years ago. Then small stones, painted white and red, were worn around the neck. Folklorist Simon Florea Marian wrote that in Moldova and Bukovina Martisor consisted of a gold or silver coin on a red and white thread. Children loved this decoration, and girls wore it for the first 12 days of spring, and then wove it into their hair until the storks arrived or until the first trees bloomed. Then a red and white thread was tied to a tree, and with a coin they bought fresh sheep cheese.

There are quite a lot of holidays for the arrival of spring - in different cultures and in different countries. As a rule, spring holidays fall on the first days of March. For example, in Romania and Moldova, the Martisor holiday is celebrated on March 1, meaning the traditional welcome of spring. In Bulgaria, the same holiday is called Martenitsa (or Baba Marta).

So where did the holiday Martisor and Martenitsa come from?

It is believed that the Martisor holiday dates back to the Roman Empire, when the New Year was celebrated on March 1. This holiday was dedicated to the god Mars, who simultaneously symbolized agriculture and war - that is, the death and rebirth of nature. According to excavations, martisors were made in Romania 8 thousand years ago.

There are several legends about Martisor, which marked the beginning of this holiday.

The first legend tells about a handsome guy Fat-Frumos (translated into Russian, Good Well done), who lived among the Getae and Dacians in ancient times (the territory of the Carpathians and Transylvania), who on the first day of spring went for a walk in the forest. The guy loved his native land and native nature very much, he was cheerful and kind. Having galloped to a sunny clearing, he saw a small Snowdrop flower that towered above the snow. The guy approached the flower and asked him who he was. Snowdrop replied that he was the messenger of Spring, that winter was over and it would soon become warm and good. And when Fat-Frumos was worried whether the flower would freeze, Snowdrop said that he was not afraid of the cold. These words were heard by Blizzard-Frost, who was passing by at that moment, and became angry that the little flower was not afraid of him. To teach Snowdrop a lesson, Blizzard-Frost began to become fierce and sent such cold that Snowdrop began to freeze and die.

Fat-Frumos, not wanting the flower to die, began to fight Blizzard-Frost, but it turned out to be beyond his strength. And then, dying, Fat-Frumos covered the flower with his chest from the cold, and drops of the guy’s blood fell to the ground next to the Snowdrop. The flower survived, warmed by the breath and blood of its protector, and was able to continue to grow and announce the coming of Spring to the whole world. And Fat-Frumos turned into another flower, which was as beautiful as the Snowdrop. According to another version of the same legend, Fat-Frumos met a beautiful Fairy in a clearing, whom he really liked. But Blizzard-Frost decided to freeze her, and the young man who stood up for her was mortally wounded. When Fat-Frumos decided to warm the freezing Fairy with his hot blood, he hugged her, but both the Fairy and the guy died. And at the site of their death, a white snowdrop and peony grew.

Another legend about the Martisor holiday tells that on the first day of March, Spring came out into the clearing where the Snowdrop grew. Seeing a beautiful flower, she began to clear the snow around it to allow it to emerge. Fierce Winter saw this, got angry - and began to send evil winds and cold to Snowdrop. Spring, wanting to protect the flower, covered it with her hands and pricked herself on a thorn needle. Blood from Spring's finger fell on Snowdrop - and he came to life and warmed up.

Another legend about the Martisor holiday says that one day the Sun turned into a beautiful maiden and descended to earth. But the evil Snake, not wanting the warmth to come, stole it and hid it in his castle. Without the Sun, the world became cold, the birds stopped singing, and people forgot what fun means. But one young man, who was very brave, decided to defeat the Snake and challenged him to a duel. The guy managed to free the Sun, but he died from the wounds he received in battle - and his red blood falling on the snow made it melt, and snowdrops grew in place of the thawed patches - a symbol of spring.

The main symbol of this holiday is Martisors - special boutonnieres that combine red and white colors and symbolize the purity of the first spring flower of the snowdrop and the red blood of its defenders.

Martisors are given to each other on March 1 and worn until March 31, after which they are hung on flowering fruit trees. It is believed that if the tree on which a person hangs his martisor bears fruit well, it means that this person will have a successful year, full of love and success. In addition, if you make a wish while hanging a mertisor on a tree, it will definitely come true. But by hanging martisor on a certain tree, a person took upon himself the obligation to look after and care for this tree throughout the year.

The first mertisors were made from a gold or silver coin, wrapped in red and white threads and hung around the neck as a pendant. Children wore martisors throughout March, and girls only wore them for the first 12 days of March, after which they wove them into their hair and wore them until the storks arrived or the first trees bloomed. After this, the coin was unwound, a thread was tied to a tree, and a special type of feta cheese made from sheep's milk - kash - was bought for the coin.

Nowadays martisors are knitted from two threads and fastened together in the form of circles or snowdrop heads - red and white. Having fastened them to each other, the martisor threads are tied into a bow and the martisor is sewn onto clothing or attached with a pin to the chest from the side of the heart.

Unlike the Martisor holiday, which has several legends about its origin, the Martenitsa holiday is based on only one legend.

Once upon a time there lived Khan Asparukh, who conquered many lands, including the territory of modern Bulgaria. He had 4 brothers and 1 sister Kalina. All the brothers went to different lands to conquer new territories, and Kalina was left alone on the territory of modern Russia.

Asparukh made successful campaigns, conquered lands, but really missed his sister, who was far from him. One day he was sitting under a tree and was sad when a swallow sat on his shoulder and asked what was the reason for his sadness. Asparukh told the swallow that he misses his sister Kalina, who is far from him, and he is sad that he has no one who could take the gift to Kalina. The Swallow decided to help Asparukh, especially since she knew where Kalina lived.

The swallow flew for 3 days and 3 nights, flew to Kalina and told her about her brother. Kalina was very happy about the swallow and decided to send Asparukh a gift from herself. She picked the most amazing flowers from those that grew in her garden, she tied them with white and red threads and asked the swallow to take these flowers to her brother.

The swallow again flew for 3 days and 3 nights until it reached the home of Khan Asparukh, who at that moment was just feasting in honor of the creation of the state of Bulgaria. Asparuh was very happy and ordered that all his subordinates celebrate this day with flowers intertwined with red and white ribbons. This day was the day of March 1, and flowers with white and red threads were called martenitsa.

The Martenitsa holiday is a celebration of the arrival of spring in Bulgaria, accompanied by the same symbolism as the Martisor holiday in Romania. On this day, Bulgarians make red and white amulets and exchange them. White color in Martenitsa is the color of masculinity, strength and longevity - then it also became the color of purity, innocence and spring freshness. The red color in Martenitsa is the color of blood, feminine, fertility and health.

Martenitsa are not only attached to their clothes, but also tied to the neck or harness of livestock, to the tools of their labor, to their homes, etc. Since martenitsa symbolized health, it was especially useful to wear them for pregnant women and children. There is a belief that if a girl puts on a martenitsa, after leaving it overnight on a wild red rose, the beauty of this girl will not fade throughout the summer.

In addition, there were rules for attaching a martenitsa to oneself. If the girl was a bride, she attached the martenitsa to the right, and if she remained an old maid, to the left. A single guy wore a martenitsa, the ends of the threads of which were not tied, but married man could only put on a martenitsa with the threads tied and cut to a knot.

By different traditions, martenitsa are worn for 3, 9, 25 days or until they see the first spring bird, snake or flowering fruit tree. After this, they are hung on a tree that already has foliage, or hidden under a stone. The next day, using the martenitsa hidden under a stone, they tell fortunes about good luck in cattle breeding or marriage.

In addition, martenitsa are sometimes thrown into the river or thrown onto the roof of a house. There is a tradition for children to throw the martenitsa up, turning to the sun with a request to take the martenitsa from them and give them health.

The Martisor and Martenitsa holidays were created in honor of the arrival of spring and warmth. They symbolize fertility, spring freshness and health and are truly important holidays for any nation! After all, the arrival of spring was important stage for our ancestors. It’s not for nothing that in Rus' there was a similar holiday, which was celebrated on a grand scale and with fun - Maslenitsa!

I drink spring days Cahors
(the days have become a little warmer),
I give Moldovan martisor
And hugs to all my friends!

If in some countries it is customary to say goodbye to winter, then in Moldova it is customary to welcome spring. Every year on March 1st the Moldovan national holiday “Martisor” is celebrated. The tradition of celebrating “Martisor” was established by the distant ancestors of the Moldovans, who celebrated the New Year with the arrival of spring. On this day, people give each other a mertisor (a symbol of clarity and happiness), this is a miniature red and white decoration in the form of all kinds of flowers, bells, beads, men, hearts.

This beautiful tradition was born by legend. The legend about Martisor is passed down from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. There are different interpretations of this beautiful and kind fairy tale.

There are a great many interpretations of this legend. Here are two of them:
“Long ago, in time immemorial, a fragile flower with snow-white petals named Giochel - Snowdrop appeared on earth. It grew on a bare cogosor when the sun first pierced the gray snow clouds with the golden arrows of its rays. Little Giochel was protected from the cold by the beautiful and kind sorceress Spring. The evil whirlwind-night owl Krivets heard about the brave flower. He flew out of his icy home with the intention of freezing the brave man who dared to cross the harsh law of his icy kingdom. The ferocious Krivets tore the prickly rose hips out of the ground and threw it out of frustration into the bright Spring, pricking her little finger. Splashed "hot scarlet blood fell to the ground and stained the white petals of Giochel. Each hot drop brought this delicate and fragile flower back to life. When Giochel's strength returned, he joyfully announced the coming of Spring."
According to another legend, the Sun descended to earth in the form of a beautiful girl. But the evil Serpent stole him and locked him in his palace. After this, the birds stopped singing, the children forgot what fun and laughter were, and the whole world plunged into sadness. One brave young man decided to save the Sun. For a whole year he searched for the Serpent's palace, and when he found it, he challenged him to a fight. They fought for a long time, and in the end the young man defeated the Snake. He released the beautiful Sun. It rose into the sky and illuminated the whole world. Spring came, nature came to life, people remembered what joy is, but the brave young man did not have time to see spring. His warm blood flowed onto the snow. The last drop of blood fell and he died from his wounds. Where the snow melted, white flowers grew - snowdrops, the harbingers of spring. Since then, in honor of the liberator of the world from darkness and sadness, people have been weaving two cords with white and red flowers. The red color symbolizes the love of beauty and the memory of the blood of the deceased young man, and the white color symbolizes the health and purity of the snowdrop, the first spring flower.

Perhaps not everyone knows what Martisor is, and therefore I will tell you about this holiday.

A long time ago, the Moldovan people had a tradition: on the first day of spring, they gave each other Martisor.
The lucky owner of this gift wears it on his clothes throughout the month of March - on the left side of the chest, near the heart.
Where did this tradition come from?
Legends of Fat-Frumos and Snowdrop

One old legend says that in ancient times, among the Getae and Dacians, there lived a young handsome guy. His name was Fat-Frumos, which translated into Russian means Well done, Handsome, Good Well done.
Fat-Frumos was cheerful and kind, in love with the nature of his native land. And then one day on the first day of spring at sunrise he galloped into the forest. In a sunny clearing, the young man saw a wonderful flower named “Giochel” - a snowdrop.

Who are you? - the guy asked the flower.
- I am Giochel, the messenger of Spring! I notify everyone about the end of winter and the arrival of spring! If I appeared, it means that the end of the cold, fierce blizzards and blizzards has come. My opened flower attracts warmth and bright sun, calling migratory birds to its native land!

But there’s still snow all around, won’t you freeze? - the young man became worried.

No, I'm not afraid of the cold! - answered Giochel.

Then the fierce Blizzard-Frost walked past a forest clearing and heard the words of Giochel. Blizzard-Frost was angry that such a fragile flower was not afraid of him and notified everyone about the passing of winter and the beginning of spring. Blizzard-Frost became angry and furious, and sent all his cold power to Giochel. Then spring Flower began to turn pale and freeze, lowering his delicate white head down.

Don't die, Giochel! – Fat-Frumos shouted to him and rushed to stop the raging cold storm.
But the young man was unable to overcome the sharp Blizzard-Frost. Then, falling to his knees from his wounds, Fat-Frumos managed to get to the dying Giochel and covered the flower with his chest from the cold. Drops of hot blood that came straight from the heart fell to the ground next to the freezing flower.
With his blood and his last breath, Fat-Frumos warmed Giochel, and White flower survived! It bloomed further and notified everyone about the arrival of Spring!
And the dying Fat-Frumos turned into another beautiful flower.
This is how the legend about a beautiful flower and the holiday of the arrival of spring - Martisor - was born.

In different villages we tell this legend in their own way.
For example, there is another legend that in a forest clearing a young man met a beautiful forest fairy who came to notify the world of the coming of Spring. The young people liked each other. But the insidious Blizzard-Frost let the cold fall on the Fairy, and then in the struggle mortally wounded the young man. Fat Frumos tried to warm the freezing Fairy with his hot blood from his wounds, but they both died. The first spring flower grew at this place - the white Snowdrop. And Fat-Frumos turned into a beautiful flower Bujor (forest or foreign Peony).

Since then, people have been telling these legends to their children, making and giving Martisors to each other, rejoicing at the arrival of spring.
Spring gift Martisor

What is this gift - Martisor?
Martisors are varied in design, there are a great many forms. But they are all made strictly in two colors: white - the color of Snowdrop, and red - the color of Fat-Frumos' blood.

Ordinary Martisors are balls or circles. Or is it a white flower head (in the form of a snowdrop cap) and the same red one. They are knitted from threads and then fastened together. A bow is made at the ends of the threads.
The finished Martisor is sewn onto clothing or fastened with a badge on the left side of the chest near the heart. The gift is worn from the first day of March until the end of the month.

On the last day of March, Martisor is taken off and tied to a branch of some plant (tree or perennial flower). This suggests that a person takes patronage for the whole year, until next spring, to look after and care for this plant.
And Martisor attached to a plant indicates that this plant is occupied. The bright red and white coloring of Mărtisor reminds people of their obligation to care for their plants.
Of course, this is also from a legend, but many people follow this tradition, providing further care for the plant. This tradition is especially revered in villages.

Although everyone ties their martisor to a branch of a plant, not everyone can regularly care for their tree; This is especially difficult in the bustle of the city.
However, these legends are still alive and are celebrated cheerfully traditional holiday the arrival of spring!

For 43 years in a row, within the framework of this spring holiday, in the period from March 1 to March 10, International festival culture, which is called “Martisor”.

So in March everyone celebrates Martisor, wears gifts on their chests and rejoices at the coming spring.

Congratulations to everyone on the coming of Spring, on the Martisor holiday!

Congratulations to all flower growers and gardeners on the arrival of spring!
And on this occasion I would like to give (at least visually) Martisor to all readers of the Gardenia website!

Perhaps not everyone knows what Martisor is, and therefore I will tell you about this holiday.

Legends of Fat-Frumos and Snowdrop

One old legend says that in ancient times there lived a young handsome guy among the Getae and Dacians. His name was Fat-Frumos, which translated into Russian means Well done, Handsome, Good Well done.
Fat-Frumos was cheerful and kind, in love with the nature of his native land. And then one day on the first day of spring at sunrise he galloped into the forest. In a sunny clearing, the young man saw a wonderful flower named “Giochel” - a snowdrop.

But there’s still snow all around, won’t you freeze? - the young man became worried.

No, I'm not afraid of the cold! - answered Giochel.

Then the fierce Blizzard-Frost walked past a forest clearing and heard the words of Giochel. Blizzard-Frost was angry that such a fragile flower was not afraid of him and notified everyone about the passing of winter and the beginning of spring. Blizzard-Frost became angry and furious, and sent all his cold power to Giochel. Then the spring flower began to turn pale and freeze, lowering its delicate white head down.

Don't die, Giochel! – Fat-Frumos shouted to him and rushed to stop the raging cold storm.
But the young man was unable to overcome the sharp Blizzard-Frost. Then, falling to his knees from his wounds, Fat-Frumos managed to get to the dying Giochel and covered the flower with his chest from the cold. Drops of hot blood that came straight from the heart fell to the ground next to the freezing flower.
With his blood and his last breath, Fat-Frumos warmed Giochel, and the white flower survived! It bloomed further and notified everyone about the arrival of Spring!
And the dying Fat-Frumos turned into another beautiful flower.
This is how the legend about a beautiful flower and the holiday of the arrival of spring - Martisor - was born.

Since then, people have been telling these legends to their children, making and giving Martisors to each other, rejoicing at the arrival of spring.

Spring gift Martisor

Although everyone ties their martisor to a branch of a plant, not everyone can regularly care for their tree; This is especially difficult in the bustle of the city.
However, these legends are still alive, and the traditional Spring Festival is celebrated joyfully!

For 43 years in a row, as part of this spring holiday, in the period from March 1 to March 10, an International Cultural Festival has been held in Moldova, which is called “Martisor”.

So in March everyone celebrates Martisor, wears gifts on their chests and rejoices at the coming spring.

Congratulations to everyone on the coming of Spring, on the Martisor holiday!

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Legends of Fat-Frumos and Snowdrop

Spring gift Martisor