Mărţişor (Romania) or Martenitza (Bulgaria) is the traditional celebration of the beginning of the spring in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria, on March 1st. The day's name is the diminutive of March (in Romanian Martie), and thus means something like "little or dear March". Men offer women a small decorative object also called Martzishor consisting of a jewel or symbolizing a flower, an animal, etc. tied to a red and white string.
The white and red thread of this amulet (a coin, money cowrie) which parents customarily tied around their children's wrist, young men offered to young women, and young women used to exchange among themselves was believed to bring good luck, good health, "like pure silver, like the river stone, like the seashell".
The Martisor, a symbol of the coming spring, is offered early morning on the first day of March; it used to be worn for 9-12 days, sometimes until the first tree would bloom when it was hung on a flowering branch to bring good luck to its bearer.
The Martisor comes in 3 versions: Children (small, less than 0.5" height & width, colourful enamel), Adult small (about 0.5 height & width, silver- & gold-like version, various themes including inspirational) and Adult large (about 1" height, silver- & gold-like versions, various themes including inspirational)