Discover Moldova with #MOLDPRES: Spring, season of renewal, rich in folk traditions preserved by Moldovans

We are on the last days of February, as we will soon welcome a new spring in the next weekend. Like other seasons, spring in Moldova is associated with numerous customs, traditions and events.

Spring, the season of rebirth, is abundant in ancient folk customs, sometimes intertwined with Christian tradition, sometimes isolated in their peculiarity, which today we find hard to take seriously, but which the people of old believed in and respected with devotion, intertwining their existence upon them like a secret weave, watched over for ages by the spirits of their ancestors. Even today in Moldova, just as in other countries, there are ethnographic and folkloric traditions related to the transition from winter to spring. The main ritual traditions of spring — often accompanied by folklore, to varying degrees, include: 'Mărțișor', 'Armindenul', 'Cucul', 'Lăzărelul', and more.

Mărțișor

March 1st, the first day of spring, is a festive day. The streets are flooded with 'mărțișoare' and flowers. 'Mărțișor' is a traditional Romanian celebration marking the arrival of spring. On this occasion, 'mărțișoare' are given to women and girls as a symbol of goodwill and prosperity. The history of 'mărțișor' dates back to the time of the Getae, and the legend says that women of that time wore coins or stones with red and white woolen threads.

The color red, symbolized by fire, blood, and sun, was associated with life, and thus with women. On the other hand, the color white, given by the clarity of waters and the white of clouds, was specific to man's wisdom. The cord of 'mărțișor' expresses the inseparable intertwining of these two principles as a permanent movement of matter. It signifies the exchange of vital forces that bring life, the unbroken cycle of nature. The colors white and red have remained, to this day, as symbols of the sexes, also found in wedding and funeral arrangements.

'Mărțișor' customs involved parents tying a coin around their children's neck or hand and offering brightly colored beads strung on a thread to young people. This gesture signified strength and luck, and 'mărțișor' was typically given during early dawn before sunrise. Romanian traditions say that March 1st is the first day of the year when the 'Matronalia' festival honored the god Mars and his power.

'Mărțișoare' were made from white and red hemp or wool yarn, tied in the shape of the number 8, from which gold or silver coins were hung. The custom is to keep the 'mărțișor' for 9-12 days and then hang it on a blooming tree to bring luck and prosperity to the wearer. In the Dobruja region, Romanian traditions say that 'mărțișor' should be worn until storks arrive and then thrown into the sky. In Transylvania, the 'mărțișor' is hung on gates, windows, or cattle horns to ward off evil and the evil eye.

Romanian traditions from Transylvanian villages color life and lend the 'mărțișor' legend a mark of transition between the end of winter, the cold season, and the arrival of spring. The 'mărțișor' legend begins when the Sun, embodied as a handsome man, descended to earth to dance the 'hora' (round dance) in villages. A dragon kidnapped him and locked him in a palace's basement. No one dared to rescue the Sun. A brave young man traveled through 3 seasons (summer, autumn, and winter) until he found the castle and fought the dragon for many days until he finally defeated him. The Sun was freed, and the young man's wounded blood fell onto the snow, turning it into snowdrops, messengers of spring. The brave young man died happily, seeing that his life served such a noble purpose: the arrival of spring. The history of 'mărțișor' says that since then, it is traditional to give ladies and young girls amulets: a white thread intertwined with a red one. The literary meaning of 'mărțișor' is 'little March'. A small March to wear on our hearts so that winter is forgotten and the new season begins.

Mucenicii (The Martyrs)

March 22nd is popularly known as the 'Festival of the Martyrs', its significance derives from the sacrifice of 40 martyrs during the Roman Empire. Among the customs and traditions that have come down to us, there are the preparation of 'sfințișori' and drinking 40 glasses of wine. It is said that at the dawn of Christianity, 40 soldiers from the Roman army decided to convert to Christ's religion. As this was not yet accepted by the Empire, they were punished with death, being thrown into a lake, thus becoming martyrs who are honored with various rituals on March 22nd.

Babele (The first 9 or 12 days of March)

Legend has it that, between March 1 and 9, 'Zilele babelor', Baba Dochia spins wool near sheep, dressed in 12 sheepskins, which she discards one by one each day. In our country, the first day of spring is inconceivable without the image of Baba Dochia. According to legend, the old woman wore twelve sheepskins, which she began to shed at the beginning of March, causing weather changes. Sunny days were often followed by rain and occasionally sleet. The myth also tells us that Baba Dochia had three special moments, marked thus: March 1: time for sowing spring crops, March 2: summer workday; March 3: representing the autumn harvest.

Depending on how the weather evolves during these three days, we can know for sure how the weather will be in the mentioned three seasons. Few, of course, resist the temptation to choose a 'baba' (old woman) during the first nine days of March because if the chosen day is sunny, it means you are blessed with a pure and kind soul and everything will go well throughout the year. Conversely, if the weather is cold and freezing, with wind and cloudy skies, then the person in question will also have a 'cold, black, and frozen' heart.

There is another part of this legend related to 'mărțișor', which tells us that Baba Dochia used to wander over hills and valleys with her flock. Like other peasant women of that time, she spent her time spinning wool. With the arrival of spring, she made a hole in a coin and passed through it a piece of wool. Over time, various symbols replaced the original coin. Today there are dogs, elephants, butterflies, zodiac signs, small hearts, keys, masks, dwarfs, a whole miniature world created especially to symbolize the coming of spring, alongside small bouquets of violets, snowdrops, hyacinths, and snowflakes that sometimes don't leave us even in March.

Annunciation or 'Ziua cucului'

Another spring celebration is the Annunciation (April 7) or 'Ziua cucului'. According to Christians, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she had been chosen by God to give birth to Christ, the Savior.

In popular calendars, this holiday is also known as 'Blagovistenie' or 'Ziua cucului', with the cuckoo occupying a central place in this much-awaited celebration. The cuckoo, perceived as the embodiment of the mythical ancestor, announces the actual arrival of spring. His first song, which usually takes place at the Annunciation, must be awaited by all the people in clean clothes, cheerful, with full stomachs and money in their pockets. If these ritual conditions were not fulfilled, those people would not benefit from all those things in the coming year.

Lăzărelul

'Lăzăr' is a tradition linked to the phenomenon of vegetation. 'Lăzăr' is born and dies on the same day — Palm Sunday. 'Lăzăr' is a ritual performed through dance and song by youth groups (usually girls, but boys are also accepted). The group usually consists of 2 or 3 girls, aged between 5 and 14. One is dressed as a bride (called 'Lăzărița'), and the other as a groom. The members of the group carry a basket in which they gather gifts received from the hosts: eggs (not yet dyed), flour, etc. The group visits houses performing the 'Lăzărelul' ceremony. During the dance, the girls wave small scarves. These scarves are specially embroidered for the 'Lăzăr' ritual. The poetic text tells the story of the young shepherd Lazăr (our ancestors slightly adapted the biblical story), who went with the sheep, but died suddenly, falling from a tree, and how his sisters and fiancée found him, and how he later resurrected.

Tradition says that shepherd Lazăr loved pies and, before leaving with the sheep, asked his mother to bake pies ready when he returned. As Lazăr did not live to eat them, on 'Lăzăr's Saturday', it is customary to give pies as alms (called 'Lăzăr's pies'). Nowadays, the 'Lăzăr' ritual, on the verge of extinction, is still practiced in Moldova, in southern localities, in the villages of Câșlița-Prut, Giurgiulești, Slobozia Mare, and Văleni in Cahul district and in the town of Leova.

Easter

Easter, the Christian celebration of the Resurrection, marks the last week of fasting, termed as 'Holy Week,' starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Sunday. The celebration starts with Palm Sunday, commemorating Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Holy Week is about sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. During this week, the 40-day fast ends, and nature is reborn. Easter celebrations begin on Saturday afternoon. The day's most important moment is the blessing of the baptismal water at church. It was believed that the first person to be baptized with this 'new' water would be lucky for life. The water also plays a crucial role on Sunday. Christians would go to church, bringing food and wine to be blessed.

The fast officially ends when these foods are consumed. In some regions, this tradition is alive even today. It was believed that, if chickens ate from the leftovers of these foods, they would lay many eggs. It was customary to consume the blessed egg at the family's heart, so that if someone got lost, they would remember with whom they ate and find their way home. Traditional food includes lamb prepared according to various specific recipes, as the lamb symbolizes Christ.

Arminden'

On May 1, Romanians celebrate 'Armindenul,' a symbol of vegetation which protects crops and livestock. In popular culture, this day is also called 'wormwood day' or 'drunkard's day' and signifies the beginning of summer.

'Armindenul' is celebrated for the fruitfulness of the earth, to avoid hail, against pests, for the health of livestock, good wine, and healthy people, through picnics with lamb and cheese and red wine with wormwood. 'Armindeni' commemorates two distinct variations: one is of ancient pagan origin, and the other is a legend with Christian reminiscences. Both are based on the green branch placed at the house's door or window. In some areas, the green branch was — and still is — placed in the animal stable. This branch's role is to protect the household from demons, hail, and general evil. However, for success, housewives should refrain from any work on the eve of 'Arminden'.

Saint George

Every year, on May 6, the Great Martyr Saint George, the bearer of victory, is celebrated. The Great Martyr George was born in Cappadocia to Christian parents. He pursued a military career, becoming a commander in Emperor Diocletian's army. In 303, the emperor issued a decree requiring all Christians to renounce their faith in Christ and worship the gods. Saint George, refusing to sacrifice to the gods, was condemned to death by decapitation in 303, on May 6. In popular belief, St. George is often associated with killing the dragon.

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii