Maybe no other season is so spectacular like spring is. In this season, temperatures starts to grow up, when the nature is reborn with snowmelt which we could see everywhere during the winter, plants begin a new cycle and make a big carpet of green and full of flagrances, birds returns from warmer countries to caress our ears with the most beautiful songs, even the bears wake up from their long sleep. I can say that we enjoy seeing this beautiful spectacle of the nature.

As time passing by, each civilization develop traditions connected with the rebirth of the nature. The same is in Poland and Romania, traditions about we’ll talk in the next lines.

For Romanians, the spring begins on 1^st March, when women will receive a symbolic "martisor”, along with a flower, which usually is a snowdrop, known as the harbinger of spring. "Martisor”, represented by braiding of two cords, one white (representing the winter, snow, characteristics attributed to man) and one red (representing the summer, fire, blood, characteristics attributed to woman), is an ornament that is worn by girls and women during March (hence the popular name of the March – Martisor), after which this will be hanged on a tree’s branch, but not before the girl/woman to make a wish that is said will become true.

The origin of this tradition is not exactly known, but people suppose it originates from Dacians, because this traditions is present only in Romania, Moldavia and Bulgaria.

Another tradition called "babele” (old women) was develop around the myth of Baba Dochia, the agrarian goddess in the Dacians mythology, associated to Diana and Iuno in Roman mythology, and to Hera and Artemis in Greek mythology.

This custom is celebrated between 1^st and 9^th March, corresponding to the days in which Baba Dochia was climbing the mountain with the sheep . Romanian women and girls choose a day, and how it will be the weather (beautiful, sunny, dark, rainy etc.) the same will be the girl or woman’s soul in that year. These nine days correspond also to the number of sheepskin coats that Baba Dochia renounced at by weather started to become warmer and warmer, culminating with 9^th March, when Baba Dochia died because she was surprised by a cold night, this day being considered the board between cold and warm seasons. 

Peasants accorded a big attention to the first days of this month (1^st March representing the day for plug, 2^nd March – the day for hoe and 3^rd March – the harvest day). If in these days rained, then all the agricultural work will be made in rainy days, and if it was sunny it will be made in drought days.

After the days dedicated to Baba Dochia, we celebrate "Mosii” (the old men), also called saints. In Romanian mythology old women are considerate to be evil, but old men to be good. Old men are celebrated between 10 and 17 March, representing the beginning of the warm days, during these days will start the agricultural work.

During these days in some regions, people beat the frozen ground with bats to let out the warm.

On 9^th March, Romanians celebrate the 40 saints from Sevastia who were imprisoned , hit with stones,held in the cold water of a mountain lake, tortured and burned, for the fact that they refused to renounce at their Christian believes.

In this day women usually bake 40 cakes in form of 8 digit, called mucenici, or they prepare smaller "mucenici” and they boiled them, preparing in this way a kind of soup to which is added sugar, nuts and cinnamon.

Also in this day men use to drink 40 glasses of wine  in the honour of this saints.

With the occasion of the first day of spring which is considered to be the 21^st March (the spring equinox), Poles have an old pagan tradition mentioned the first time on the 15^th century, which consist in burning and drowning a doll made by straws in the water of a river or a lake, doll which represent Marzanna.

In the Slavic mythology, Marzanna is associated with the agrarian goddess, which is based on the death and rebirth of the nature. Comparing it with the Romanian mythology, we can associate it with Baba Dochia.

The tradition is kept today thanks to the teachers from schools, where children make this doll, Marzanna, from materials which integrate quickly in the nature’s cycle. The continuation of this custom makes me happy, because nowadays teenagers aren’t interested about traditions, and these began to disappear in some regions.

After Marzanna is created, children will go with it near a river or a lake, place where they will burn the doll (this will represent the moment when the first signs of spring appear) and throw it into water to be drown (the moment which represent the death of the winter which can’t return).

Another Polish tradition older than 15^th century is called Śmigus-Dyngus, known as Wet Monday which is celebrated on Monday Easter. This consist in throwing with water and spanking the girls with pussy willow branches. Of course, the next day the roles reverse and the girls will throw water and spank the boys with pussy willow branches. But today two days are merged in only one, becoming a general fight with water.

Interesting is that some time ago, boys sneak into girls houses before they wake up and they said to them: Dyngus, dyngus, po dwa jaja; nie chce chleba tylko jaja ("Dyngus, dyngus, for two eggs; I don't want bread but eggs"). If the girls didn’t give to them painted eggs, they will throw water on the girls. Sometimes the girls were taken up with the bed while they were sleeping and thrown straight into the water of a lake or a river.

If in the past this water fight symbolize attracting the rain necessary for a rich harvest, now this tradition become more a fun, because not a lot of persons remind about the symbol of it.

If you’ll visit Poland in the Wet Monday, prepare yourself with an umbrella even if is a sunny day. I don’t know if you’ll understand this tradition when a guy from 10^th floor will throw on you with water.

In both countries there are celebrated 8^th March (The International Women’s Day) and Easter, about I’ve talked already or I will talk in short time.