Mărțișor - one of the most representative of Romania's traditions

The Martisor, a spring token, a tiny adornment tied with a red and white entwined cord presented on March 1, is one of the most representative Romanian traditions also adopted in towns and cities, roots back 8,000 years, when people use to presented each others red and white pebbles in a string. Martisor a genuine Romanian holiday celebrates the arrival of spring. Young ladies and women dear to us are presented these spring tokens on March 1, the Martisor day. It is believed to bring joy and good luck. In Bukovina (north-eastern Romanian province) there are men who receive martisor. It is a red and white entwined cord, the red one symbolises the winter and the white one the spring, which other symbols of good luck such as a three-leafed clove, chimney sweeper or a heart are tied by.

I would like to invite you to participate at the workshop which will held place on 13 March, 2015 by Romanian Students's Cicrle. You can made with us a traditional ornament and in the same time to know what is the legend that stands behind it... ;) 

Discover the true face of Romania in 8 minutes...

Recently I came to the conclusion that even if I would do my best on this blog I'm not able to tell you my all stories and important things about Romania. That's why in this post I attach especially to you the presentation prepared from my pictures, which were taken during my trips to Romania. One of my favourites poets, Fernando Pessoa, wrote that "the real beauty is something that we can't describe in words and something that soothe us". That was my first ecounter with Romania: a real, pure beauty, some kind of mistery and in the same time simplicity. As a metter of fact, I've never took Romania for garanted, it came to me little by little... Of course, at first sight Romania may to appear a poor country, in which there are no perspectives. However, I think everybody should have a first-hand experience what Romania means, without assessment and stereotypes.  Now I know that for all the tea in China I wouldn't to do nothing else in my life, because it's something that changes your life like a thunder. :) Enjoy it! 
P.S. Unfortunately I couldn't made it in better quality, but if you won't enlarge it it should be ok :D  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buyvr2molEI&feature=youtu.be

Video sources: Tiara- Ielele, Maria Raducanu- Oh, Lord, what a morning!

The fear - Part II, but still very interesting :)

Today I wouldn't write anything, because I found very, very interesting speech. The relationship of fear and imagination, the fear in the literature and thorough analysis of fear- that's all you can finde in speech with fiction novelist Karen Thompson Walker. If tou want to see the fear from completely another point of view, you should necessarily watch it. Only 11 minutes of this speech... :)

                       

http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_thompson_walker_what_fear_can_teach_us#t-801us#t-801

Something about the biggest fear...

      The last subject of our lectures were phobias and fear. I thing the biggest phobia for everyone is the death because we have no influence on it. As we know, the concept of the death changes all the time, because it's the element of the culture in which we live. But did you ever wonder what was the perception of death in Polish folk cultre? For sure you don't because currently the death became something rational, which is not related with any symbols. 

       In the past in Poland people believed that superior foreces could give poeple the signs of about the death of a family member or a neighbor. Under superior forces people understood widely defined nature: plants, animals, dreams and superstition inherited from generation to generation. When somebody was deathly ill and was lying in the house, then all the doors and windows have been opened  for to facilitate the departure of his soul.  People has been putting all the chairs upside down because they didn't want to death soul stay at home. The coffin has been exposed in front of the house to inform the neighbors about the death. It's very interesting for me because I understand death in a different way. For me it is some kind of mystery which in fact creates the sense of our lives. And what do you think about it? ;) 

Source: Jankowska B., Komentarze do Polskiego Atlasu Etnograficznego, Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze, Wrocław 1999. 

The mystery of existence

Lucian Blaga-  a poet, philosopher, translator, and dramatist, Romanian writer Lucian Blaga (1895–1961) narrowly missed winning the 1956 Nobel Prize for Literature because of Soviet government interference. Blaga created the field of philosophy of culture and the concept of Mioritic Space, both of which became key concepts in the development of a Romanian national identity. I don't want to describe his poetry because I think his poem speaks for itself. :) 

I do not destroy the crown of miracles of the world
and I don’t kill
by my mind the mysteries I come across
along with my path
in the flowers, in the eyes, on the lips or graves.
Others’ light
suffocate the spell of the incomprehensible hidden
in deepness of dark,
but me,
with my light I increase the world’s mystery -
and the way the moon by its white rays
do not diminish, but shivering
increases the mystery of night,
the same way I enrich the dark horizon
by deep shivers of sacred mystery
and all that is impossible to understand
becomes more incomprehensible
under my eyes -
since I love
flowers and eyes and lips and graves.

Source: encyclopedia.com

Nuieluşa- workshops of Romanian traditional decoration

On 5 December 2014 in the lobby of Collegium Novum took place the workshops of Romanian traditional decoration, organized by the Students Scientific Society UAM.

Nuieluşa is a decoration made of twigs and various additives: ribbons, bows, strings, etc., It is prepared on Day of Santa Claus. Nuieluşele are preparing throughout Romania, and are giving for your loved ones, friends. Undoubtedly, there are not many countries in Europe, but also in the world that can boast of such kind of tradition. What can we learn from the Romanians is the ability of the joy of the small things that make up the amazing atmosphere. In fact, to do the decoration we needn't many things, and it's not just about the materials, but about commitment, joy and smile. That's all we have tried to transmit all our participants. See yourself if we managed to do this ...;)

Endangered Languages

According to the report prepared by UNESCO, by the end of this century half of 6000 languages will disappear. Currently 96% of languages spoken throughout the earth are used by only 3% of people. There are languages that use only a few people. The highest number of languages that are endangered, was recored in Australia - namely the Aboriginal population. The situation is very similar in Equatorial Africa and Amazonia. The scientists estimates show that every two weeks dies one language with the oldest inhabitants who know the language's rules. Obviously disappearing languages are replaced with the most popular: English, Chinese or Spanish.

It is interesting that  two years ago Google has created a special Internet platform called ”Endangered Languages Project”. On this site you can search and post audio and video recorded in endangered languages. According to UNESCO, in Poland are threatened two languages: Kashubian and Silesian.

Source: nesweek