“Spring is a reflection of our soul ’ s thought and the amulet is one of

1. The Spring Amulet “Spring is a reflection of our soul ’ s thought and the amulet is one of the most precious flowers of it.”

2. What is a spring amulet? The amulet signifies a small object tied with a double colour cord, white and red, which appears in the Romanian tradition and also in other populations ‘ tradition . Women and girls usually receive this amulet and it is worn during the entire month of March as a symbol of the upcoming spring. The amulet is a symbol of spring, usually of the nature coming back to life, when all turns green. Its form was changed. It was originally symbolized by a coin. Later on its form consisted in a few small river stones dyed white and red and stringed in a thread . Nowadays colourful beads, ceramic and flowers took its place .

3. Spring Amulet’s origins • The amulet festivity can be found in the Balkans, especially in the Bulgarian area, in Macedonia, and Albania, and also in the Armenian area and the Megleno-Romanian area. • Its origins are not known well yet, but the presence of the amulet in both Romanian and Bulgarian tradition can be explained by the fact that both populations have at the origins the daco-tracic substratum, before the Romanization at the first ,and the slavicization of the last (although the legends of the Bulgarian population are said to be connected with their first territory run by khans at the Danube river, in 681).

4. It was also believed that the amulet’s festivity date back from the Roman Empire ,when the New Year was celebrated on the first day of spring in March –March meaning the same as Marte, the god of war, but also of the fertility and of the vegetation. This duality is remarkable in the colours of the amulet, red meaning war and white peace. Archaeological research done in Romania, at Schela Caldovei , showed similar amulets believed to have appeared approximately 8000 years ago.

5. Legends . It is believed, according to the legend, that the beautiful Spring went to a forest and noticed the first snowdrop, as a sign of the coming spring.

6. She decided to help the little snowdrop to see the light , by removing the snow and tearing the branches which didn’t let it see the world. Winter saw that and in a furious attack called the wind and the frost to freeze the flower. Spring covered the snowdrop with the hand, but she hurt herself at a finger in a branch. A drop of blood was running out of that finger, which, falling on the snowdrop, made it revive .

7. Spring defeated Winter , and the amulet’s colours signify Spring ‘s blood flowed on the snow.

8. Martenita-Мартеница • On 1st March, the Bulgarians offer and wear the amulets "martenita'’ , which is said to bring luck. Bulgarian tradition says it must be tied on the joint of the hand or attached to the coat lapel until winter leaves. • The Bulgarians wear the amulets during the entire month of March in this way: unmarried girls wear them on the left side of the dress, spinsters on the little finger of the left hand and the married men at the right sock. As a weather forecast, the amulets are tied on trees which soon are going to blossom. This marks the transition between spring and winter and everyone hopes that everything will be better than the previous year.

9. Hag MARTA • The Bulgarians’ hag is an old helpless woman who has an iron bar as a support. The Bulgarians believe that her temperament varies: when Marta smiles, the sun shines, and when she is upset, the nature becomes very bad. It is believed that a person will be healthy the whole year if he wears “martenita”, based on the following proverb : ”If you don’t wear an amulet, Hag Marta will bring all the evil spirits in your house.”

10. Romanians also have a hag, Dochia, who had a daughter –in-law whom she hated. One cold day, Dochia sent her daughter-in-law to the river to clean a dirty coat until it becomes as white as snow. The poor girl was scared and frozen and she began to cry because the coat became more and more black instead of white, when he, the Amulet, appeared. A young man offered her a fresh flower and sent her home telling her “Everything will be ok” .

11. When she arrived home , the coat had a brilliant white colour. After seeing the flower in the girl’s hair, Hag Dochia thought that the spring had come and went to the mountains with the sheep . She travelled many days. The weather was getting warmer and warmer and Dochia, who wore between 6 and 12 sheepskin coats, took them off one by one. On top of the mountain, after she had taken off all her coats , suddenly it got cold and then she saw the Amulet. He started to scold Dochia for her cold attitude towards the girl. Her sheep were made into stones. This legend is the basic idea of which everyone believed that Amulet had something to do with the relation between good and evil , where, obviously, the good wins. According to some traditions , the cord, also called the rope of the year, was spun on Dochia’ s way to the top of the mountain.

12. Spring Amulet’s symbols • Each year we offer or we receive amulets on 1st March. The amulet also means the popular name of the month, which announces the beginning of spring .The cord knitted from the two threads symbolizes winter and spring . It also symbolizes the renewal of the time and of the year. In the latin and geto-dacic tradition, the New Year was celebrated on 1st March. Therefore “the month of God Marte =March” was the first month of the year and the calendar stated only two seasons : summer and winter. • The colours of the cord are also found in other traditional symbols such as: the flag of “Calusari’, wedding tree, the ornament for young men and so on. • It is said that the person who wears an amulet on the chest will be healthy and lucky all the year long. ‘The symbol of spring’ is worn 12 days in some regions, in others until 9th March and in others until they see the trees blossom or the first stork. • Red symbolizes the love for all the beautiful things , and white is purity, health and snowdrop, the first flower of spring.

13. Both of them are more than 800 years old The amulet is composed by the two colours: red and white. Both countries celebrate it on 1st March Both traditions have a special hag according to the amulet’s legend The amulet defines spring The Hags start on 1st March Similarities between Romanian and Bulgarian tradition of the amulet

14. Differences between Romanian and Bulgarian tradition of the amulet • Romanian tradition says that only men offer the amulet , consisted in a small object attached to the cord (the name is ,,mărţişor”) • Bulgarian tradition says that even men an boys can receive amulets, which are represented by the cord itself; their amulet’s name is “martenita” • Romanian amulet has varied forms , it can be almost everything (chimney- sweep, ladybird, horseshoe, clover, etc) • Bulgarians maintain the cord only , but sometimes its end can be • drawn as a boy and a girl • Romanians wear this about a week • Bulgarians wear it at the joint of the hand and take it off when they see a stork or when the trees blossom and they tie the cord on a branch and make a wish • Romanians relate the amulet to the legend of hag Dochia • Bulgarians relate it to hag Marta, which is celebrated on the very 1st March.

15. SpringAmulets • The spring amulet is a unique tradition in south-east Europe. Besides Romanians, all the other Balkan nations celebrate this festivity. Each of them has their particular way to celebrate it and also their particular amulets.

17. The 5th grade Pedagogical Highschool Tulcea Romania