The object was worn primarily by children and women,
less so by men, and rarely by old people. Different
regions had a different time frame for how long it
should be kept. Some older traditions say that it should
be worn from the first new moon of March until the
next significant holiday for the local community, which
could be anywhere between March 9 and May 1, or
until the first tree flowers blossom, depending on the
area.
These ornaments (plural mărțișoare) are often shaped
to resemble various images such as four-leaf clover,
ladybug, flower, etc. Over time, they have become
increasingly elaborate, diverse, and bigger than the
original ones, and packaging for them has evolved
accordingly.
March 1 was associated with signs of season change in
the natural world: the blooming of snowdrop flowers,
considered the first messengers of spring, the return of
migratory birds such as swallows and white storks, the
flowering of fruit trees (apple tree, cherry tree), the
early blossoming of roses, or with the next significant
holiday in the calendar. Mărțișor is inscribed in the
UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity.
st
On March 8, the world observes International
Women's Day, focusing on social issues such as the
fight for equality and liberation along with women's
rights movement, as well as gender parity,
reproductive and civic rights, and prevention of
abuse against women and children.
In the beginning of the 20th century, this event
grew from women's labor movements in North
America and Europe, with early marches for fair
wages and working conditions, and became a
global day for all women, not specific to any
particular country, with large gatherings since 1911.
The date of March 8 was chosen following the
International Conference of Working Women held
in 1910.
The United Nations officially recognized
International Women's Day in 1977, and each year
there’s a different theme with social, political, and
economic implications for empowerment, equal
rights, and a feminist future for women and girls.
Not only March 8, every day is a good time to
acknowledge progress, highlight ongoing
inequalities, and take further action for the
betterment of humanity in general.