On the 1st of March, Martisor, or Little March, is the day when Romanians celebrate the arrival of spring. I see it as a kind of Romanian Valentine’s Day. On this day, men offer women martisoare – handmade charms or small trinkets tied with a cord made of red and white entwined strings – nowadays made of silk. In some regions, women are the ones offering men martisoare. The red color symbolizes spring, heat, vitality, and life, and it is associated with the passion of women, while the white string is associated with victory, snow, and the wisdom of men. When I was in primary school, this was one of the most important days of the year; the boys were supposed to offer the girls martisoare – at least if they weren’t too shy – but most of them were. It became a competition among girls to receive more martisoare, but with those shy boys, it was not fun. So, we bought them for ourselves, pretending that the lucky charms were gifted by boys. We wore them pinned to our clothes – at school, we pinned them to our uniforms, which made us look like North Korean generals decorated from head to toe – much to the exasperation of our teachers. This red-white cord is believed to bring protection against evil spirits, health, and luck. So, my most beloved, here is the martisor I give you with immense love to protect you and bring you luck, health, and happiness. Infinite Love.
P.S. Take note: next year I expect you to give me a martisor…
I can’t sleep…fooling around as usual…Infinite Laughs…