Martis… Do you know this Greek tradition from the month of March? For my part, I discovered this lovely custom when my children came home from school with this little red and white threaded bracelet on their wrists.
It’s ‘Martis’,… in reference to the Greek month of March.
The March bracelet tradition
Its origins date back to ancient Greece, when during the Eleusis Mysteries ceremonies, initiates wore a thread called “Kroki” around their right hand and left foot. The thread, “kroki”, refers to the word crocus, or saffron. Red crocus filaments were used in the ritual at the sanctuary of Demeter in Eleusis (Elefsina in Greek). Finally, in ancient times, March was the first month of the year…
Today, the tradition continues with a bracelet made of twisted red and white threads that attaches to our hand at the beginning of March and detaches at the end of the month, unless it falls off before then. Alternatively, we can wait until Easter evening to burn it with a flame.
Martis are very popular in Greece. This tradition also exists in other countries. In Bulgaria, for example, these bracelets are called “martenitza”.
According to tradition, this bracelet protects us from the first rays of the spring sun, which, according to popular belief, are particularly harmful. Symbolically, the color white and red is often found in superstition when it comes to preventing harm. So let’s honor tradition and make our martaki again this year!
Make your own Martis
Here’s the simple method we use to make our own:
- Materials required: Red and white cotton threads, scissors
- Measure approximately twice the length of your wrist with a red and a white thread.
- Tie your two wires together at one end and tape them to a table.
- Then turn your two wires.
- Finally, tie a small knot to join the two ends together and you’re done!
Give a second life to your bracelet…
Once you’ve spotted one of the harbingers of spring (trees in bloom, the first swallows returning from migration…), you have two options:
- throw it on rosebushes for the swallows to use as nesting material
- or attach it to the branches of flowering trees to help them bear fruit.
You can buy these bracelets in stores or make your own, and share a moment of Hellenic tradition with your family!
And you, do you have your own martis?
Also in that fine Greek tradition, on the first of each month, we don’t say hello, we say “good month”, so we wish you all a very good March!
Elodie H.
