March 1st surprise for travelers. They were greeted with martisors upon entering the country
Customs officers and border guards distributed martisors at Chisinau International Airport. This heartfelt gesture brought many Moldovans to tears as they prepared to travel to distant countries where they have settled. Many of these individuals expressed their intention to share martisors with friends they have made abroad.
The Romanian tradition of wearing the martisor doesn't recognize borders. Thousands of kilometers away from home, Mariana remains connected to her roots.
"Anton, do you understand what the martisor tradition is? This represents Prince Charming who defeated the dragon. Tomorrow at school, you will tell your classmates where the martisor tradition comes from."
"Martisors have all kinds of accessories and toys. We attract him with this, which has a small toy, a ladybug. My child is half Moldovan and half French, and we do our best to preserve Moldovan traditions; we even have a Moldovan carpet in the middle of our house."
Passengers were overwhelmed with emotions as they received the symbol of spring as a gift.
"We wear it, and we have French friends to whom we also gave a martisor as a gift. It's hard when we leave because there's still part of the family here that we miss."
"The arrival of spring is a beautiful symbol. I’ve noticed that there are many spring events featuring martisors in the Republic of Moldova, and I'm really glad they did something like this at the airport."
"The martisor symbolizes spring, and it's lovely as it brings us a fruitful and prosperous year."
"It's a beautiful holiday, a spring holiday filled with tenderness."
"We give a congratulatory gift and a symbol of spring, the martisor. Through it, we carry on our traditions and share them with those living outside the Republic of Moldova, making them aware of our symbol," said Oleg Vozian, an inspector at the Customs Service.
Martisors were also distributed at the land borders. In popular tradition, the martisor is not merely decorative; it is a talisman worn for luck and health.
