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 The old name of March, ”martisor”, reminds the traditional custom of celebrating the spring by wearing red and white colored braids. The Romanian word “martisor” comes from “matisor” (the buds which appear in spring time).
The celebrations of this month are:
March 1: “Martisor” (little March); Dochia, the old woman; The beginning of the old women’s days
March 9: Macenicii (the Martyrs)
March 17: Alexie, man of God; Snake Day
March 25: the Annunciation (Blagovestenia); Cuckoo Day
March 1: “Martisor” (little March); the Old Dochia; Beginning of the old women’s days
The tradition has it that the spring and summer weather will be just like the one from this day.
March 1st is related to the custom of “martisor” (diminutive form of “martie” = March). Folk beliefs say that who wears the “martisor” will be lucky and healthy.
In the old times, the “martisor” was made of two woolen threads, a white one and a red or black one, symbolizing the two main seasons – winter and summer. Women used to make this braid, which they tied on the wrist and neck of their children.
The “martisor” was also worn by young men and adults. Moreover, the braid which announced the spring was tied on the horns of the cows or on the gate of the stable, in order to protect the household. In the old times, March 1st was the beginning of a new year, moment in which people needed to protect themselves from the evil spirits.
Later, a silver or golden coin, or even a medallion was hanged of the braid, having a protective function.
The coins of that braid were kept until St. George (April 23rd) and the girls were buying themselves fresh cheese and red wine, in order to blush as the wine and to be as white as the cheese.
The “martisor” is worn until the roses or the cherries bloom. Then, the braid is tied on one of the branches of that tree. In other regions, the “martisor” is worn during the old women’s days (March 1st – March 9th), after this being tied on a tree. It is believed that, if the tree gives fruits, the man who has worn the “martisor” will be lucky. If the “martisor” is thrown after a bird, the man will be as easy as that bird.
March 1st, the first day of the spring, is the day of the old Dochia.
The old Dochia is an ancient agrarian deity, who dies on March 1st and revives on March 9th (the spring equinox in the old folk calendar and the new agrarian year). Dochia reminds of the great goddess Terra Mater and she can be associated with Diana and Iuno from Romans and with Hera and Artemis from the Greeks.
The legend has it that the old Dochia was an evil mother-in-law, who in the first day of March sent her daughter-in-law in the mountains, in search of strawberries. On the road, the girl met an old man (maybe God), who gave her a bunch of strawberries. Seeing the fruits, the old Dochia believed that the spring had come. She put her nine coats (twelve in the Moldavian and Bucovina version), took her sheep and went in the mountains. The warm weather made her take off her coats, one by one. But the frost and the rain came next and the old woman and her sheep turned into ice, which later became rock. The legend has it that this is how Babele (the Old Women) from Bucegi Mountains were formed.
In other versions, the old Dochia climbed the mountains together with her son, Dragobete. As the rain had started (it had been raining for nine days and nine nights), Dochia began to take off her coats, which were cumbering her. The tradition says that the changing weather from the beginning of March is due to the old Dochia, who shakes out her coats full of rain or snow. Dochia fought not only with the shepherds, who had warned her of the bad weather, but also with god March. Angry, March borrowed some bad days from his brother, February, and freezed the old Dochia.
Only few traditions present Dochia as a beautiful girl, daughter of an emperor defeated by his enemies, who takes her sheep and hides in the mountains, disguised as an old woman wearing nine or twelve coats. As the old Dochia, she has a tragic end, freezing.
People shouldn’t work on this day, because the Old Dochia gets angry and sends the bad weather.
The first day of spring also represents the beginning of the nine days of the old women (twelve in some regions). Women choose one of these days before they start – their luck will be similar to the weather in that day (other versions tell that their personality is as the weather).
On March 1st, girls wash themselves with water obtained from the melted snow, in order to have a clean and bright face.
March 9: Macenicii (the Martyrs)
In the old tradition, “macenicii” are in fact “the old men”, symbolizing the ancestors’ spirits. In the Orthodox calendar, they correspond to the 40 saints from the City of Sevastia, who had been burnt alive.
It is said that on this day the Old Men are pounding the earth with their big hammers, in order to take out the warm weather and the grass. The custom of pounding the earth with the hammers (also meant to bring health and luck to the people) is also practiced by children.
Every 9 March, women bake “macenici” resembling to human shape (like the eight figure), or in the shape of a dove or a bee. The “macenici” are eaten with honey and nuts. In some areas, they are put in a honey, sugar and nuts syrup. Some of the “macenici” are taken to the church and given to the poor men.
A legend goes that one year, in the “macenici” day, a man was seeding pea. Seeing this, the 40 Saints got angry because the man was working on their day and complained to God. The Lord was merciful and told the Saints to forgive the man and, even more, to multiply his crop. Thus, the crop was 40 times bigger. The next year, the greedy man continued to seed pea. This time, God didn’t forgive the man and told the Saint that each one of them should give the man a week of illness. Thus the man was ill for 40 weeks and he couldn’t even gather the pea which he had greedily seeded.
A human shaped (without eyes) cake is also baked. It is called “the forgotten” and it is baked for the dead which hadn’t been mentioned in prayers during the year. The children eat it with honey.
In Gorj and Mehedinti Counties, in the cake made of wheat meal, a silver or golden coin is introduced. After the baking, the cake is cut in equal parts, which are being given to all the family members. The one who finds the coin will be the luckiest one.
In the “macenici” day, people should drink 40 glasses of wine (the number of the Saints from the City of Sevastia). Who can’t drink so much, should at least taste the wine. It is believed that the wine turns into blood and power of work during the year.
The garbage from the yard is burnt and the young men jump over the fire, in order to be healthy. These customs represent an incineration of the winter, being related to the coming of the spring. The fires protect the humans and animals from the evil spirits. Women spread ashes around the house, in order to be protected from the snakes.
March 9th (the New Agrarian Year in the folk calendar) is a day good for starting the spring tilling. It is said that the earth taken from the first list is good for charms, thus being wanted by witches.
The storks are coming starting with this day.
March 17: Alexie, man of God; Snake Day
Alexie is the master of the beings which hide under the ground, in burrows, under the rocks or in water during the winter. According to the tradition, the ground opens this day (it will close 6 months later, on September 14th – the Cross Day) and that animals come out. The two moments in which the ground opens and closes marked in the folk calendar the two main seasons – the summer and the winter.
Legend has it that, while God was cleaning the earth from insects, He met Alexie, who was going to the sea. God gave him the bag in which the beings had been put and asked him to throw it in the water. Arriving at the sea, Alexie couldn’t resist his curiosity and opened the bag. All that beings populated again the earth. Alexie tried to gather them. In order to make it easier, but also to punish him, God turned Alexie into a stork.
This day is also called “the snake day”, the “fish day”, “the cutting of the hives”, because the reptiles begin to appear, searching the sun, the fish begin to move in the water and the bees come out of their houses.
If the animals get out of their burrows before Alexie’s day, the cold weather will come again; if they get out later, the weather will get warmer and warmer.
On March 17th people clean the fruit trees, clean their households and burn the garbage. The fishermen eat a live fish early in the morning, in order to have luck.
People must not call the snake by its name – he is called “the one who slithers”, “the belt”, “sir”, “Vasile”. Who doesn’t respect this rule should tell a specific incantation.
The frogs begin to croak this day. Neither are called by name (they are called “mares”).
A custom says that sharp object shouldn’t be taken in hand, as that man will only see snakes during the year.
March 25: the Annunciation (Blagovestenia); Cuckoo Day
The Annunciation celebrates the good news that the Archangel Gabriel brought to Virgin Mary.
It is a great sin to work on this day. Tradition says that if one bakes polenta and throws it in water, all the fish will dye. If the polenta is put on trees, they won’t make fruits anymore.
The water obtained from the snow of this day has magical functions – women use it during the year, protecting themselves from various diseases.
On March 25th people ring the bells and produce much noise, in order to banish the evil spirits.
The fruit trees are threatened with the axe, in order to make fruits. In Banat, for the same purpose, plum brandy is poured at the base of the trees.
The Easter weather will be similar to the one of this day.
It is said that the cuckoo begins to sing, even before the swallows arrive. The legend says that in the old times the cuckoo had golden feathers and his wife’s name was Sava. But Sava loved the nightingale. The cuckoo got angry and told his wife that he’d go away for some time. That’s why, for a month, Sava keeps searching her husband, calling “cuckoo, cuckoo”. So, the bird we hear singing beginning with March 25th is not the cuckoo, but his wife.
Another legend says that once upon a time there were two twin brothers, who had lost each other. One of them kept looking for the other, called “cuckoo”, shouting his name.
Legend has it that the cuckoo turns into a hawk after seven years.
In some regions, the hunters take the holy bread from the church and put it into a hand-made tree hole which is then covered. After that, they aim the hole. If the bullet hits the holy bread, blood will pour, and that hunter will be a good aimer during the year. | |
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