20 years ago, on March 1st, on March Amulet (Mărțișor) Day, Romfilatelia was founded, the sole company designated by the Romanian Government to issue Romanian postage stamps.
This year, on Friday, March 1st, Romfilatelia will introduce into circulation the March Amulet (Mărțișor) Day postage stamps issue, consisting of 4 stamps (with face values of Lei 4, Lei 5, Lei 6 and Lei 13), 1 First Day Cover and a special product in limited edition, unique philatelic March amulets for all friends of the Romanian stamp.
As a symbol of spring, the March Amulet (Mărţișor) appears as a sign of the return to life of nature with its entire universe. It is offered every year on March 1st, as a talisman of appreciation, luck and prosperity. Men give it to ladies and young ladies as a sign of admiration and respect.
A legend explains the association of two colours – pure white and red – in the braiding of the strings of the March amulets, starting from an incident in which a snowdrop, which had risen early, was surprised by bad weather, with frost and snow. The Spring Fairy, loving and caring, removed the snow and warmed it in her hands but she injured a finger and a few drops of blood fell on the snowdrop and the nearby snow. Miraculously, the snowdrop recovered, and winter declared itself defeated.
As a visible presence, the March amulet is a small adornment tied with a string braided from a white and a red thread, which appears in the tradition of Romanians and some neighbouring countries (see Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria). Early spring flowers are offered together with the March Amulet, among them the most representative being the snowdrop.
At the time when the March Amulet was present in the form of a coin, usually made of silver, the poet George Coșbuc explained:
“The purpose of wearing it is to bring the sun closer to you, carrying its face with you. This is how you become friend with the sun… to give you what is in its power, first beauty, then joy and health, honour, in goodness and purity of soul”.
In the times in which we live, the value of the March Amulet begins to be given only by the artistic creation. It can be made of any material and can mean whatever the craftsman wishes to convey as a perceptible message.
The custom of the mărţișor was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017, as “cultural events associated with the celebration of March 1st”, the proposal being made in a collective file by Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Moldavia and Romania.
The postage stamps issue dedicated to the “Spring Celebration” presents four stylized images of exotic birds, metamorphosed into March amulets. Symbol elements attached to the image of birds encrypt messages that want to convey love, wishes for health and happiness, love, luck, etc. The red and white strings clearly define the notion of March amulet (mărtișor), remindingall men of the festive moment to be with their mothers, wives, girlfriends and female colleagues, on March 1st, with “a smile, a flower” and of course, with a traditional mărtișor.
On the first day of March, together with the message of the symbol of love and devotion conveyed by the postage stamps of the issue introduced into circulation, we wish to join the greetings:
A beautiful spring, dear friends of the Romanian stamp!
Happy anniversary, Romfilatelia!
