Mărțișor

Mărțișor is celebrated on 1 March in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, marking the start of spring with a tiny gift called a mărțișor. The gift is usually a small ornament—such as a flower, heart, horseshoe, ladybird, or chimney sweep—attached to a twisted red-and-white cord. In the last days of February, kiosks and street stands fill city squares, metro passages, and market streets with rows of mărțișoare. On the morning of 1 March, people give them to classmates, colleagues, friends, mothers, grandmothers, or partners, often with a phrase like “O primăvară frumoasă!” The receiver pins it to a jacket, blouse, or bag and wears it as a sign of luck, health, and renewal.

Customs vary by region, but the rhythm of the day is easy to recognize: gifts are exchanged in the morning, coats and cardigans quickly fill with red-and-white strings, and florists do brisk business alongside mărțișor sellers. In much of Romania, men and boys traditionally offer mărțișoare to women and girls, though in some families and workplaces everyone exchanges them. The charm is usually worn for several days or until the wearer sees a sign of spring, such as the first blossoming tree or a returning swallow or stork. Then the thread may be tied to a fruit tree branch or placed under a stone, with the hope that the year will bring strength, beauty, and good luck.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.