Codlea: "Gifts called Mărtisor for mothers"
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Every year the Cultural Centre of Codlea, county of Brasov, organizes a series of events dedicated to the spring season and to its legends. One legend says that the sun has come down to the earth under the guise of a young man. The dragon kidnapped him, locked him and caused sufferance to the whole nature. The rivers stopped flowing, the birds stopped singing and the sound of the children's laughter could no longer be heard. A courageous man embarked on a journey, faced the dragon and released the sun. The journey lasted for three seasons: from summer through autumn until winter. The sun went back to the sky and announced the coming of spring.
In Codlea, people celebrate the first season of the year by the event called "The First Snowdrop" on March 1st, followed by the Mother's Day on March 8th - the Creation Day.
Symbol of spring
"This year we continue our series of events dedicated to the spring season, which is marked by festival "The First Snowdrop". Everyone prepares long time ago for this emotional event when people offer flowers or a gift called Martisor to their mothers. It is to them and to all the mothers in Codlea that we dedicate the "Gifts called Martisor for Mothers", an event organized by us. On this occasion, children make drawings and display them in this setting dedicated to feminine beauty. We also organize an artistic show, as a token of our respect for those who gave us life. The controversial day of March 8th has no other meaning to us than the meaning of a woman herself: to bring life on earth," said Mr. Petrica Buhnici, Manager of the Cultural Centre from Codlea.
The legend of the snowdrop
The legend of the snowdrop is a beautiful story, which makes a virtue of this delicate flower. Legend says that some children belonging to the spring wind lost their mother. Their father, now a widower, married the North wind's daughter who became the step mother of the little ones. As she was an evil woman she threw the children out of the house while their father was away. Homeless, the children ardently prayed to God to help them. So they were transformed into the first flowers of spring, the snowdrops. According to other stories, the snowdrop was a groom who broke the rule of not drinking water from a certain fountain.
The amulets of spring
The gifts called Martisor are considered real amulets which bring luck to those who wear them.
They are as old as the world and the Dacians believed that these amulets brought fertility, beauty and prevented sunburns. The gifts called Martisor were worn until the blooming of trees and then hung up on their branches.
They have resisted through time and became symbolic decorations attached to a red and white thread, representing elements related to spring or good luck: four-leaf clover, horse shoe, heart and snowdrop.
