Mărţişor

[Carpathian Wolf]

Mărţişor (Romanian pronunciation: [mərt͡siˈʃor]) is a traditional celebration of the beginning of Spring, on the 1st of March. It is a tradition in Moldova, Romania, and all territories inhabited by Romanians, or Daco-Romanians, and also Aromanians. Similar customs are found in Bulgaria (Мартеница), Macedonia, Albania[1], Italy[2].
The name Mărţişor is the diminutive of the name for March (Martie, in Romanian), and thus literally means "little" or "dear March". It is also the folk name for this month.
Mărţişor, marţ and mărţiguş are all names for the red and white (or black and white, also blue and white) string, from which usually a small decoration is tied, and which is offered by people on the 1st day of March[3]. Giving this Talisman to other people is an old custom, and it is believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come. It is also a symbol of the coming spring. Usually, women wear it pinned to their blouses for the first 12 days of this month, until other certain spring celebrations, or until the bloom of certain fruit-trees. In some regions, a gold or silver coin is hanged from the string, which they wear it around the neck. After wearing it for a certain period of time, they buy red wine and sweet cheese with the coin, according to the belief that their faces would remain beautiful and white as cheese, and rubicund as the red wine, for the entire year[4].
In modern times, the Mărţişor lost most of its talisman properties and became more of a symbol of friendship and love, appreciation and respect. The black threads were replaced with red, but the delicate wool ropes are still a ‘cottage industry’ among the country people. They still comb out the wool, dye the floss, and twist it into thousands of tassels. In certain areas the amulets are still made with black and white ropes, for warding off evil![5]

More continued...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83r%C5%A3i%C5%9For

This is a very interesting celebration that is kept in the Balkans amongst the Romance speakers and Bulgarians as well as the Italians. Some say it's origin lies with the Romans, others even earlier with the Thracians tracing back some 8,000 years ago. Personally I think it is of Thracian origin and incorporated into the Roman Empire in Italy (if it were the other way it would probably be in France and Spain as well.)

What is interesting is that it shows the importance of traditions kept verbally. Not everything needs to be written down to be remembered and shows just how far civilization and culture can go back. I also really wonder how much culture that we take for granted of being Hellenic or even Roman is really Thracian since we know (or think we know) so little about them historically.

[bushbush]

we know so little about them and their culture precisely because of lack of writings, wish they kept more of it (or any writing). Otherwise what survived would not just be these small pieces of their customs, but also their language, their philosophy, their history, their literature and other great cultural masterpieces that romans and greeks left for the western civilization. Their culture became faded away and finally forgotten precisely because they did not have extensive writings.

[CiviC]

we know so little about them and their culture precisely because of lack of writings, wish they kept more of it (or any writing). Otherwise what survived would not just be these small pieces of their customs, but also their language, their philosophy, their history, their literature and other great cultural masterpieces that romans and greeks left for the western civilization. Their culture became faded away and finally forgotten precisely because they did not have extensive writings.

Yes, but what survives from them is living culture, not just some documents of interest for academics. It's interesting to know things about Sumerians, but really, I have nothing in common with them and their civilisation. Their writings staisfy just intellectual curiosity.

[bushbush]

Yes, but what survives from them is living culture, not just some documents of interest for academics. It's interesting to know things about Sumerians, but really, I have nothing in common with them and their civilisation. Their writings staisfy just intellectual curiosity.

agreed. I wouldn't say just for "academics" though. The survived accounts for figures like alexander are of great interests even among the general public. Imagine no writings survived at all about him from the ancient era.

[Augustus Lucifer]

I'm not sure I can gather from the OP what it is we're supposed to be discussing, just that the OP finds this particular tradition interesting. The subtle undertone seems to allude to this thread, and similar sentiments about Thracians in this thread. If it pleases the OP, could you please elucidate for me the facets of this tradition we should be debating/discussing, or perhaps what it is being used to instance.

It is curious at any rate, though not quite as curious as casu marzu!

[Carpathian Wolf]

I'm not sure I can gather from the OP what it is we're supposed to be discussing, just that the OP finds this particular tradition interesting. The subtle undertone seems to allude to this thread, and similar sentiments about Thracians in this thread. If it pleases the OP, could you please elucidate for me the facets of this tradition we should be debating/discussing, or perhaps what it is being used to instance.

It is curious at any rate, though not quite as curious as casu marzu!

Just an interesting tradition kept in the Balkans and Italy for thousands of years. Maybe discuss your theories on why it's only in the Balkans and Italy, that combination seems interesting. There are some theories for example that Etruscans were a branch of Thracians (as well as Illyrians) or that these groups were related so perhaps that is where the relation comes from.

[Augustus Lucifer]

Just an interesting tradition kept in the Balkans and Italy for thousands of years. Maybe discuss your theories on why it's only in the Balkans and Italy, that combination seems interesting. There are some theories for example that Etruscans were a branch of Thracians (as well as Illyrians) or that these groups were related so perhaps that is where the relation comes from.

The article mentions parallels in Italy, but it doesn't seem to elaborate on what exactly. Most of the information it presents pertaining to the significance of the coloration or the materials are related to a Daco-Romanian interpretation. I can't read this article it cites, since it's in Romanian, but it's also a blog so not especially credible. Is there a parallel article about a similar tradition in Italy, perhaps? If it was similar then there should be an Italian perspective as to its origins, whereas this one seems to guess about what significance can be attributed to it in Rome through the perspective of a Daco-Romanian.

[Bleda]

we know so little about them and their culture precisely because of lack of writings, wish they kept more of it (or any writing). Otherwise what survived would not just be these small pieces of their customs, but also their language, their philosophy, their history, their literature and other great cultural masterpieces that romans and greeks left for the western civilization. Their culture became faded away and finally forgotten precisely because they did not have extensive writings.

who is "they"? Thracians? Dacio-Romans?

[Bleda]

(if it were the other way it would probably be in France and Spain as well.)

It's a bit short sighted to assume something like that. The variables that factor into a culture are very complex. i.e. Western Europe after 476 was completely dominated by Germanic invaders, yet places like Italy, France and Spain retain a language that is relatively free of Germanic loanwords from this period. Then on the other hand, Britain and North Africa lost their Romance languages altogether.

What is interesting is that it shows the importance of traditions kept verbally. Not everything needs to be written down to be remembered and shows just how far civilization and culture can go back.

Historical linguistics and historical anthropology are two fields of study that tend to overlap. Indeed, very interesting stuff.

By studying the language we speak today, we can look further back into the past than anyone could have recorded. Its absolutely fascinating.