Love & “Mărțișor" – a Romanian spring tradition

What a beautiful evening we all had on Friday (February 28’20) when we gather to celebrate the Romanian spring tradition, called “Mărțișor”, which is meant to announce that spring is near. Since weather is getting milder and flowers began blooming, we all feel that LOVE is in the air, and because of that we just couldn’t miss the opportunity to discuss several facets of it. 

While at this page, I’m glad to announce that my circle is growing, and new friends are joining. I was truly happy to welcome them all that evening with a fragment of classical music, featuring spring and gift each of the invited ladies with “mărțișoare“ I personally crafted few days before. I accompanied each “mărțișor” with the classical red & white silk thread, which I ordered ahead of time from Romania. The beautiful smiles my guests had on their faces when they each received my “mărțișoare“ as well as the authentic joy expressed, filled my heart with such a profound delight!  

On the other hand, even though I shared with you few times before the legend of “Mărțișor“, at this moment I only refresh its quintessence, as published by several ethnographic journals: according to archaeological research, the “Mărțișor” traces its history more than 8,000 years ago, and some ethnologists believe that the “Mărțișor” celebration is in fact an old Dacian tradition. 
On March 1^st, in Dacia, the Dacians (the ancestors of Romanians nowadays) would celebrate the New Year, as well as the 1^st day of spring, dedicating ample festivals honoring the rebirth of vegetation, as the entire nature would come back to life after the long winter hibernation. 
Since 2017, “Mărțișor“ was added to UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
After all “mărțișoare“ were distributed we settled in and our group discussions began, unfolding beautifully. 
Lots of poems were recited, personal memories were shared, legends were reiterated, featuring “Mărțișor“, LOVE and the coming springtime. 

Before I will give you more details about our evening together, I would like to briefly refresh that LOVE, over centuries, has been described by many as being one of the best feelings on earth – one that lots of people can’t live without, and it has been extensively praised by many poets, painters, writers, scientists, philosophers, and regular people. Nowadays, LOVE is one of the most talked about topics, on a wide range covering media people, academics, activists, spiritual figures, politics, and people from our everyday lives.

Specifically talking about my circle, this Friday, our conversations on LOVE were truly interesting, with lots of stories sharing personal experiences, scientific reports, psychological perspectives, poems (personal creations & from universal literature) and fragments / quotes (by Dante Aligheri, Bible, Eckhart Tolle, Hesiod, Lao Tzu, Mother Theresa, Smaranda Gheorghiu, I.Teodoreanu, Baudelaire, Charles Dickens, Erasmus from Rotterdam, Teodor Musatescu, Cohen & Albert Einstein).

Aside of that, since I had a number of couples as guests of the evening (being together for a respectable number of years – some by 60, 56, 32, 30, 4 years) they each shared what is the secret (in their opinion/s) of a happy, long and stable marriage. Practical advice, timeless insights...awesome, priceless wisdom!
On this briefing I will respect the privacy of the personal aspects discussed, but below I will give you only few general concepts:
- Love is a true force of life
- Love feels like security and stability
- Love is strictly linked with happiness
- Love is harmonizing relationships 
- True love will stay forever in your heart
- The love of a mother is the only form of love that exists in purest, truest and unconditional form 
- There are many types of love and here are few: Eros (romantic love), Agape (unconditional love), Storge (empathy), Philia (affectionate love), Pragma (long-lasting love), etc., but the highest of all is AGAPE (ancient Greek ἀγάπη…which is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, "the highest form of love, charity")
- The color of love is actually green, not red. Red is the color of passion between 2 people. Green is the color of healing, the color of nature, the color of balance and good health. We associate green with love on a global level. Green reveals our desire to foster understanding and acceptance between people.
- Love has been compared with the sun that gives the warmth your heart needs. Sun it sometimes covered by clouds, but you know is there, so does love - you can’t see it all the time, but you feel it.

Next, the love within the animal reign was discussed as well, and several examples of inspiration were given: the swans, doves, wolfs, penguins, dogs, eagles.
Further, one of our guests that evening nicely explain how beautiful even flowers “speak” about love!

Additionally, our group conversations referred to the coming springtime as well, and our dear friend Dorina read for us a beautiful childhood poem, we all knew since young age, and after she finished reciting it, the entire group began humming it and then it flew into really singing it….it was such a splendid delight for us all. Materials presented by our dear friend Dorina are published (with Dorina's permission) in comments section.
Then our friend Teo recited several poems (personal compositions), which are published (with Teodor's permission) in comments section. 

Spring is the season of joy, and heart knows it, that’s way at this time of the year people are happier than usual! It is as simple as that: when spring is in the air, heart knows it! Spring is the season of new beginnings, when many fresh flowers began blooming, animals awaken and the entire Earth seems to come to life again, all emphasizing the beautiful theme of rebirth and renewal.
Among other attributes, spring is truly beautiful because flowers are in bloom displaying a symphony of radiant colors and suave, rejuvenating fragrances. 
Also, scientifically speaking, there are extensive studies showing that looking at flowers could make you happy.
For instance, the snowdrop is the first flower of the year, and when it blossoms is a sign that spring is near, confirming that slowly the winter is fading, transforming into lovely springtime. We all grew up with the believe that snowdrops (“Galanthus nivalis”) are spring heralds, symbolizing hope and joy!

All my guests that evening felt the same way in their hearts, as many brought spring flowers for our reunion as well as “Snowdrops”, which in Romania are considered “spring messengers”. Even my husband, at home, brought me such a nice bouquet of fresh flowers, which filled my heart with profound delight!

On the other hand, since the International Women’s Day is coming soon (being celebrated around the world on March 8^th), we briefly mentioned several famous Romanian women, and here are a few:
- Dr. Ana Aslan (please read her biography in comments section)
- Poet & novelist, Smaranda Gheorghiu (please read her biography in comments section)
- Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci (please read her biography in comments section)

Without any doubt, the good cheer was in our midst, and when all presentations concluded, our dear friend, Teo Trandafir sang us all an original spring song he personally composed. Truly beautiful!

We concluded the evening together with a very well garnished selection of light refreshments, which again allowed for prolonged enticing conversations and great fellowship – good food, nice people, interesting talks, positive environment…what else to ask for!?
Yet again, my most sincere appreciation to my precious, loyal friends who honored my invitation, and until next time, my best greetings to each!
Alice

A heart that loves is always young! 

 This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

● A previous event I organized on the same concepts: Love, Spring &“Mărțișor”– 2019

● Some of my additional greetings referring to VALENTINE's Day – 2020, 2019 | "Mărțișor" – 2019 | 
"DRAGOBETE" – 2020

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

“DRAGOBETE” or the Romanian Valentine’s Day

Observed annually on February 24, Dragobete is a Romanian holiday that not only celebrates the end of the harsh winter and the arrival of spring, but also it is a day to celebrate love and romance – much like a Romanian St. Valentine’s Day. 

I hope the coming spring would bring you joy, dear friends!

● A brief historical background
“DRAGOBETE” is a day rich in traditions, which differ from region to region. In general, nowadays, many Romanians exchange gifts with their partners as a way of showing their affection for each other.

On the other hand, according to one of the many legends on the matter, this day is also known as the day of "The Engagement", "The birds accompanying" or "The birds wedding." According to a popular belief, birds gather in flocks, "courting", in an indescribable turmoil &, until the end, they’ll find their pair. Together they build the nest in which to grow their offspring. Consistent with the same old legend, the birds that do not find their pair now, they remain single until next year.

Another legend says that “Dragobete” was the son of “Baba Dochia”, who is connected with the return of spring. The traditional story tells us that in the ancient times, young men and women together would go to search the meadows for fresh spring flowers. Nonetheless, a beautiful, old, tradition worth sharing further!

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

February 2020: Happy VALENTINE’s Day!

Dear friends, I wish you have a blissful day, generously filled with peace, kindness and joy!

LOVE  is  the  universal  language  of  the  heart.

● A previous post on the same theme: VALENTINE's Day – 2019

Beauty of COMPASSION

According to many, compassion is remarkable in every way because this wonderful ability allows you to understand the emotional state of another human being, while at the same time involves kindness, thoughtfulness and the willingness to help someone in need. In very basic terms, compassion is simply caring

"Feed the birds" (short video clip)

about someone or something. 

This advanced moral virtue of a positive connotation is a trait many are born with, but in other cases it can be learned, acquired, and/or further enhanced. Compassion has a number of significant qualities, and here I’m enumerating a few: patience and wisdom, kindness and perseverance, friendliness and determination.

In our days and age, one might be tempted to believe that compassion doesn’t exist any longer, but I assure you that it does. Look around you, and you would be amazed of how many people with a true altruistic behaviour are out there…for instance, people involved in philanthropy or charity work have compassion, volunteers helping sick people or sick animals have compassion, people who smile on a regular day and offer someone an honest compliment have compassion, people who listen attentively and offer a word of encouragement have compassion, and the list goes on, and on, and on.

A life full of love and activities you care about is truly enjoyable. The empathy and the genuine thoughtfulness that compassion bring along are rewarding because are helping you appreciate even more every aspect of your own existence. It has been well documented by many reputable studies that compassionate people are positive and lead a fulfilling life.   

On the other hand, scholars believe that compassion is essential for any society in order to function well. Arthur Schopenhauer affirmed many times that “compassion is the basis of morality”. Having a population with a compassionate mindset, allows them to better see, hear and understand the needs of others, and choosing to assist someone in need would help people build a stronger foundation of ethical habits, which will benefit the entire country.

We could easily see that in fact compassion has the potential of becoming pivotal to everyone’s support network. In small or big communities around the world, compassion could impact many levels of existence – from personal to societal, by forming kinder people.

In my opinion, compassion is extremely important because it leads to kindness, positivism, harmony and peace. Learn it, teach it, practice it and share it! 
Yes, I totally agree that at times is not always easy to bring compassion into your daily life, but is so worth trying! As many people say, compassion is 'love in action'. This is an ideal we each could strive for, whether we express it through small gestures, through random acts of kindness, or in more varied and subtle ways, because far from being just a societal nicety, compassion has a great evolutionary potential. 

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries; without them humanity cannot survive."

 

Significance of ORIGINALITY

Originality is an attractive state desired by many, and achieved only by few people. But what is this originality, is it important and how we each could achieve it?

By definition, originality is the ability to think independently and inventively, while producing a new piece of work which is totally distinguishable from reproductions, clones or other derivatives. Originality can take many different forms and according to a number of scholars, the concept of it is culturally contingent.

Throughout the history, the most original people achieved their level of success because they each had a passion to follow and in order to achieve it they continuously were coming up with many new ideas. They each understood their uniqueness, their talent and choose to use it. Many writings and documents reveal that originality always has been generated by inspiration, intelligence, understanding, wisdom and a broader perspective. Needless to say that pursuing your dream/s, being true to yourself, knowing your values and creating a vision about a particular project for instance, always was, is and will be based on perseverance, tedious work, consistency and a genuine desire to succeed.

On the other hand, for some people originality is not necessarily important, because it might require too much of an effort, and stepping out of the comfort zone is something not many are willing to undertake.
In my opinion originality is very important because it encourages you to always come up with fresh ideas or new perspectives to old ideas, it expands your horizons, it boosts up your confidence and it brings you more joy. Being aware of your own characteristics, skills and talents allows you to be who you really are at the core level, and that’s also significant.

Achieving originality boils down to being unique or to do something new, which is different than being creative. Creativity is the act of creating things (expressed extensively in writings, drawings, theater, music, etc.) and it is possible to be creative without being original. Originality is based on novelty and this takes you back to square one, to self-analysis, encouraging you to know thyself and grow from there. As the elders used to say, find you talent and use it!

As I wrap up here my brief exploration on this matter, I would like to refresh what many said before me and I’m sure will continue to say in the future: every person has unique gifts and those gifts give him or her the power and the opportunity to accomplish great things, if he or she would learn how to use those gifts and focus them onto the right direction.  

Be yourself because an original always is worth more than a copy.

COLLABORATION versus COMPETITION

In life, often people encounter varied circumstances when they have to collaborate or compete with each other and at times you really wonder which of these two approaches would be more impactful and why?  Obviously, these are simple questions, which one might or might not choose to address, but for the purpose of this brief scrutiny I will tackle them. 
Before I concisely discuss these two concepts, I would like to quickly draw your attention to the following question: What are the basic elements that allow people to work with each other?

Well, according to scholars, teamwork and collaboration, combined with good communication and sound problem solving skills could help different groups to reach a common goal or to accomplish a given project in a timely fashion. It sounds really doable, isn’t it, but despite its simplicity, lots of people, more often than not, get stuck. Why? It is perception, it is misunderstanding, it is ego, it is stubbornness, it is unrealistic expectations, or just bluntly speaking, it is the lack of skills? Hard to assume.

Specifically talking about collaboration, we could state that’s a sound working practice that allows individuals to work together toward a common goal in order to achieve a certain benefit.
Often, collaboration encourages people to think, and at the same time it allows them to articulate and gain clarity about their competencies. In many cases it serves as a mirror that gives them a glimpse at their strengths and weaknesses. To collaborate is to communicate! Trusting each other, understanding roles, and having in place an effective communication process are the key components of any group collaboration effort. What is clear, it is the fact that through collaboration people could easily learn from each other by sharing knowledge while finding out how the other collaborators are approaching their share of the project. Being collaborative means not just listening to other ideas, but really hearing them. Other important elements of collaboration are the following: have a common purpose or goal, trust each other, clarify roles from start, and communicate openly and effectively.

In this context, needless to say that roles are very important. As we all know, a role is an action carried out by a member and each person who is part of the team has a role in order to help the team achieve a particular objective. So, for the purpose of coherence, it is crucial that each member of the team clearly understands his or her role in the team and smoothly proceed with it. Aside of that, getting things done the best way possible depends on how well each member of the team receives and shares information with others. Poor listening skills is a common problem among teams failing to execute a task. If you don’t listen to each other and don't follow the plan in place things can take a different turn leading to an undesired outcome, and team members may get confused or frustrated if communication isn’t on point.

Effectiveness, productive collaboration, mutual respect, good listening skills, and the desire to be successful are significant aspects, which involve the entire team.

Collaboration is the key to success!

On the other hand, competition is mostly based on rivalry, and it has been observed that on different degrees it is part of life on this planet. According to Darwin’s evolution theory, “only the strongest can survive”, but is this a good or a bad thing, is this healthy or unhealthy?
Some people believe that competition could lead to innovation, but many studies reveal that seldom it brings out the best in people. Those who are competitive because they have to win at all costs often create more stress for themselves and for those they interact with. 
Without any doubt, to an extent, healthy competition encourages people to become better versions of themselves, encouraging at the same time a certain level of creativity, but unhealthy competition always leads to embarrassment. Many times unhealthy competition destroys the real enjoyment of a given activity, makes it less creative because some people become way too worried about being the first, too stressed to smile, too anxious imposing on others, too apprehensive to properly communicate and too rigid to collaborate. 
Generally speaking, competition is pretty ambiguous, yet from the life principles’ perspective it could be useful in some occasions, but when competition becomes the only moral rule of life then lots of problems would appear, starting with the depreciation of human soul and finishing with a low cultural level.

Instead of competing with each other it is desired to complete each other.

Personally, I’m a big promoter of collaboration, effective communication, mutual respect, trust, loyalty, and I truly believe that if we really want to change the world, we have to work together toward this goal, in peaceful terms.

If you have a great idea, share it! If you want to build a team, to partner, or to create a project, find the right collaborators, be positive, cooperate truthfully, have a proper attitude, be respectful, be honest, communicate effectively, trust each other, be consistent and make it happen, because together we are so much better! 
When we learn how to work together versus against each other, things are happening well, as we each become more powerful when we empower each other.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”