Martisor brings spring back into people’s hearts: ancient tradition, Music Festival on March 1 in Chisinau

Spring makes its presence felt in Moldova through the beloved symbol of national identity, Martisor. On March 1, the tradition returns to the spotlight, and in Chisinau, the Martisor International Music Festival is inaugurated, an event that brings to the stage renowned artists of the country and from abroad.

Ethnologist Varvara Buzila said that Martisor represents a national value deeply rooted in the Romanian cultural space.

“Martisor is a national value and is very important in our Romanian space. It marks the transition from the cold winter to spring or even summer. It is a symbolic amulet through which people show solidarity with nature. Martisor also symbolizes the beginning of a new agricultural year. Martisor is present in all our cultural structures,” the researcher emphasized.

In its traditional form, the Martisor consists of a red and white cord, to which a small decorative object is attached. The colors have multiple meanings: red is associated with life, fire and fertility, while white is linked to light and wisdom. Their intertwining symbolizes the balance and unity of opposites.

The origin of the custom is ancient. Legend has it that the thread was spun by Baba Dochia on her way to the mountains, thus becoming the “thread of the year.” Archaeological discoveries made at Schela Cladovei in Romania have brought to light amulets about 8,000 years old, similar to the Martisor, made of small stones painted in white and red.

In written sources, the tradition is mentioned for the first time by scholar Iordache Golescu. Folklorist Simion Florea Marian noted that in Moldova and Bukovina, children wore around their necks a gold or silver coin tied with a red-and-white cord, considered to bring good luck.

In the past, girls wore the Martisor during the first days of March, then hung it on the branches of a blossoming tree, in a ritual meant to bring a fruitful year.

Today, in addition to the traditional cord, Martisor charms include flowers, figurines or other decorative symbols. Regardless of the form, they remain the expression of a tradition specific to the Carpathian area, preserved and passed down from generation to generation.

The tradition of Martisor, as well as the customs and cultural practices associated with March 1, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2017, as the result of a joint nomination submitted by Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.