Greek Tradition: The Red and White Marti Bracelet

The Greek tradition of Marti/Μάρτης ( derived from the Greek word for March = Μάρτιος) is an ancient custom at the beginning of Spring. It is believed to date back to ancient Greece, and it is practiced all over the Balkans.

According to the tradition,everyone wears red and white bracelets on their left wrist made from thread from March 1 until the last day of the month on March 31.

A Little Bit of History…

Thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, in a city named Eleusis, the ancients performed rituals, specifically the participants of the springtime Eleusinian Mysteries, dedicated to the cult of Demeter and Persephone. They would tie strings around their feet and hands.

It’s surprising that this tradition still lives in modern Greece.

Today, we honor this tradition by tying a red and white string bracelet on our wrists on March 1. It is believed that doing so will prevent the skin from burning in the new springtime sun. The red string represents sun-kissed cheeks, and the white string denotes purity. Greeks also add an evil eye charm to their March bracelets to bring the wearer good luck.

When you take the bracelet off…

Tradition says to tie it to a flowering tree. This encourages the tree to bloom and invites birds to come and nest there. These traditions date back to the ancient Greeks, at which time they asked the goddess Demeter for a healthy and bountiful harvest.

Let’s talk in Greek…

As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, we all find ourselves in a sea of words we don’t know how to use.

Let’s have a look at the Greek spring vocabulary:

April – Απρίλιος

birth – η γέννηση

bee – η μέλισσα

butterfly – η πεταλούδα

warmth – η ζεστασιά

Easter – το Πάσχα
eggs – τα αυγά

flowers – τα λουλούδια

green – πράσινος

grass – το γρασίδι

to grow – καλλιεργώ

fresh – φρέσκο

lamb – το αρνί

March – Μάρτιος

May – Μάιος

sunny – ηλιόλουστος

nest – η φωλιά

rabbit – το κουνέλι

rainbow – ουράνιο τόξο

season – η εποχή

spring – η άνοιξη

plant – το φυτό

sun – o ήλιος

bird – το πουλί

tree – το δέντρο

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