The name Mărțișor is the diminutive of Marț, the old folk name for March (Martie, in modern Romanian), and thus literally means "little March". It is a amulet traditional to Romanian people made to ward off evil and which has evolved into symbolizing the rebirth of nature in the spring.

Both women and men would wear it pinned to their clothes, close to the heart, until the last day of March, when they tie it to the branches of a fruit-tree. In the modern times it is also custom for women to tie the Mărțișor around their wrist as a bracelet. Usually, only women receive this amulet in modern times. The year of the wearer will be as fruitful as the tree they choose for this ritual.

Legend says the Mărțișor is the thread of the days in the year, knitted by Baba Dochia (the Old Dochia), or the thread of one's life, spun at birth by the Fates (Ursitoare). The first 9 days of March are called Baba Dochia's Days, Baba Dochia being an image of the Great Earth Goddess. The tradition says that one must pick a day from 1 to 9 March, and how the weather in that day will be, so it will be for you all year long.

Historically, the amulet was made of white and black wool threads. White is the symbol of purity, the sum of all the colors, the light, while black is the color of origins, of distinction, of fecundation and fertility, the color of fertile soil. White is the sky, the father, while black is the mother of all, Mother Earth. The string can also be blue and white, but most commonly it is red and white.

It is believed that the red string of Mărțișor signifies vitality, while the white one is the symbol of victory. Red is the color of fire, blood, and a symbol of life, associated with the passion of women. Meanwhile, white is the color of snow, clouds, and the wisdom of men. The thread of a Mărțișor represents the union of the feminine and the masculine principles, the vital forces which give birth to the eternal cycle of the nature. Red and white are also complementary colors present in many key traditions of Daco-Romanian folklore.

In modern times, the Mărțișor lost most of its talisman properties and became more of a symbol of friendship or love, appreciation and respect.































Martisor, 2014, Zenith Adriana