Happy Mărțișor! :)

Very powerful symbol! Mărțișor is an old Romanian celebration at the beginning of spring, on March the 1st.Mărțișor is the name for the red and white string from which a small decoration is tied, and which is offered by people on the 1st day of March.

The tradition is authentic in Romania, Moldova, and all territories inhabited by Romanians and Aromanians. Alike though not identical customs can be found in Bulgaria, while similar ones exist in Albania, Greece and Italy.

The Legend

The legend tells that once upon a time the sun, turning into a handsome man used to come down to earth to dance in Romanian villages. Knowing what the new passion of the sun was, a dragon followed and kidnapped him during one of his trips. Then he threw the sun into the basement of his castle.

After the sun was kidnapped, everyone lost their joy, but no one dared to face the dragon. One day, a brave young man decided to go and save the sun. Most of the people followed him giving the young man their power so that he would be able to defeat the dragon.

His journey lasted for 3 seasons: summer, autumn and winter. At the end of the last one, the young man managed to find the dragon’s castle and the battle began. After days of fighting the dragon was finally defeated. Without strength and hurt, the young man released the sun making everyone that had put their hopes in him happy. The nature revived, people started smiling again, only the lad didn’t manage to see spring come.  

While the warm blood from his wounds fell on the ground and the snow melted, white flowers, called snowdrops, the messengers of spring, were rising from the ground. When the last drop of his blood dropped in the snow, he died happy because his life had served such a noble purpose. Since then, when spring comes people braid 2 threads: a white one and a red one.

Winkipedia ;)

Some ethnologists consider Mărţişor to have a Roman origin, while others believe it to have a Daco-Thracian origin.
In ancient Rome, New Year's Eve was celebrated on March 1 - 'Martius', as the month was called in the honour of the god Mars. Mars was not only the god of war but also an agricultural guardian, who ensured nature's rebirth. Therefore, the red and white colours of Mărţişor may be explained as colours of war and peace.
The Thracians also used to celebrate the New Year's Eve on the first day of March, a month which took the name of the god Marsyas Silen, the inventor of the pipe (fluier, traditional musical instrument), whose cult was related to the land and vegetation. Thracian spring celebrations, connected to fertility and the rebirth of nature, were consecrated to him.
In some areas, Daco-Romanians still celebrate the agrarian New Year in spring, where the first days of March are considered days of a new beginning. 

Before March 1, women choose one day from the first nine of the month, and judging by the weather on the chosen day, they would know how the new year will go for them. Similarly, in other areas, young men find out what their wives are going to be like. 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 you 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.

Matrisor carries with it multiple symbols and therefore the power that comes with this vibration is amazing: Feminine power, Love, Spring - rebirth, Circle of Life continuous, purity of the first flowers in the spring, Mother Earth coming back to life, the Power of The Sun to resuscitate and revive, the Connection between people and nature, and themselves, The Circle Of Life, Love and Light!

Not receiving a Matrisor was a good reason to feel lonely, incomplete, not loved, frustrated and all negative vibrations coming with the opposite meaning of the symbol itself. Rarely anyone did not receive a martisor, rarely anyone was unhappy on the 1st of March.

After wearing the Martisor, once you see your FIRST BLOOMED TREE, you are supposed to tie the Mărțișor String to one of it`s branches, that`s how you give back to Mother Nature your Own healing and renewing Power so it will come back to you in the perpetual Circle of Life.

 Happy Mărțișor!
Crystal Blessings! Phoenix