1st of March is the day that marks the revival of everything that went asleep once that winter came: animals, plants, feelings and of life in general. Starting today all of the universe is beginning to bloom and energy is filling up everything it's surrounding.
In Romania and some of the neighbouring countries celebrate today "the Trinket day" (we call it Martisor (Marț + suf. -ișor.) and i couldn't find an exact translation). During this day boys give to girls a little piece of jewelry or hand made symbolic thing tied up to a white-and-red string and a bouquet of spring flowers.
The origins of this traditions are lost in time. Archeologists found relics similar to present day "trinkets" in sites dating 8000 years ago, representing a white-and-red pebble that was worn around the neck. But the present day tradition is related to the Roman Empire, when on the 1st day of March (the moon of Mars) they were celebrating the New Year. Mars was not only the God of War but also the God of Fertility and Vegetation and from this duality we have the white-and-red string (white = peace, red = war).
Later on the "trinket" was made up from a silver or gold coin tied to a white-and-red string and was given to adolescent girls which would wore it around their neck during the first 12 days or March. After this perioud they would tie the "trinket" in their hair till the arrival of the first Cranes and the blossoming of the trees. At that time they would remove the "trinket" from their hair and would tie the string from a branch and the coin would use to buy "caş" (a local type of cheese). All this ritual would bring a plentiful year.
But there are some Myths regarding the "martişor" also. One of them speaks about a day when the Sun came down to Earth looking like the most beautiful girl in the world. But a zmeu (the closest translation i could find was "dragon"; the Zmeu was our legendary "bad guy" who was stealing fair ladies and was attacking kingdoms and such but was more like a man than like a serpent) stole the sun and at that time the birds stopped from singing, children forgot how to play and have fun, and all the world fell in grief. Seeing what is happening without the Sun, a brave man went to rescue it from the "dragon's" dungeon. He searched for the Sun for one whole year and when he almost lost his hope he found the "dragon's" castle. Our hero challenged the "zmeu" and after a fierce battle he finally won and released the Sun which went to it's rightful place in the sky and "lit" the world again. Spring came again and people got their happiness back, but our hero died from the great wounds the "dragon" inflicted upon him during the fight. His warm blood covered the white pure snow and where that happened snowdrops arose (the symbol of spring). It is said that following this, people would honor his memory by tying white-and-red strings to a branch.
Now this is the story behind it. But what do i think about this tradition? Well i like it. Why ? Because it's one out of the very few traditions in which we praise the woman. And she should be more than she is right now, more than she ever was. During our history we treated our women with the full brutality and power that we were capable of. Why ? because she was/is weaker (physically) and because she was/is gentler in general. So we took advantage of that because we usually don't think about anything else besides of our own need. Throughout history all women were beaten, made into slaves, subdued and forced to do anything that men wanted. And even now in this era of so called equality of sexes, women as still seen as nothing more than a tool for mans personal pleasure.
So during this day we can show our women just how much they mean to us and treat them like they deserve too. At some points women are the closest things to God, as being able to give birth and "create" a new life. But we men should think of women as the better half of our own self. To think that we are one body divided into time and space and do anything and everything in our power to become whole and show them that our life is just empty till the reunion.
But why do men need special days like this ? Because most of them need a lot more reasons to do that. They are still infants and greedy, and need a push to make the right thing. Too bad that these kind of days are not that often.
Unfortunately 1st of March is not a day for happiness all over the world. This year in Chile there is a lot of grief. On 27th of February there was an earthquake with the magnitude 8.8 on the Richter scale. A devastating tremor that ripped their world followed by at least 90 aftershocks. And after that tsunami's flooded the land. So the first day of March found them still searching for survivors and trying to clear the rubble. Many started to search for God again, after He was lost when everything fell to the ground or went under the water.
At least 58 people died after "Xynthia" mopped the countries of Western Europe with more than 47 deaths only in France. The combination of hurricane-force winds (at times spiking to 200 km/h)and high tide battered the countries of the "old" continent with brute force leaving only destruction behind.
We all need to get better people and help our world evolve towards something good, not towards extinction.
