Lucas starts telling me how today his mom was upset. Even when they left home to meet me, she was mad and didn't say goodbye to them. He's confused because they haven't done anything to make her angry.
"Oare ce s-a întâmplat de e așa supărată?" he asks, and I start thinking about it. Suddenly, I know the reason!! "Well, today IS March 1st. Don't you know what that means?" I ask the boys... They look at me weird. "No, we don't. So what if it's March 1st?"
I start explaining to them how, in Romania, we have a beautiful spring tradition - on March 1st boys give girls & women spring flowers (snowdrops & hyacinths) and a bracelet made of red & white string as symbols of Spring and hope.
If you receive a bracelet, you have to wear it all month long and on the last day of March make a wish and tie it to a tree for good luck. It is beautiful to walk through the park and see tens of thousands of red & white bracelets hanging from the branches, swayed by the wind.
"Wow, I never knew that! This is beautiful, I wish we had more Romanian traditions back in the US though." Marcus reflects, with a hint of sadness. It must be difficult for them to be so far away from their roots, both Romanian and Iranian sides.
"Yeah" I respond, "so I think that is why your mom was upset earlier - because you boys didn't get her flowers & a mărțișor bracelet! If you want, I can take you to some street merchants and buy some. I think that will make her happy again, plus she doesn't expect you to know about this tradition, it will be the perfect surprise!"
The boys agree and we find ourselves walking through the streets of Bucharest, stopping at merchant stands and looking for the perfect mărțișor symbol for Aurelia.
YOU ARE READING
Red & White
FanfictionA short story with Marcus & Lucas Dobre. This time they are visiting relatives in Romania around March 1st, the first day of Spring. They find out a cute Romanian tradition that celebrates Spring and love!
