During Sunday on the 1st of March, Tranströmerbiblioteket along with Arina Stoenescu welcomed spring by holding a sneak peek of a new bilingual edition (Romanian-Swedish) of the children's book »Mingea dorințelor/Önskebollen« by Sînziana Popescu and Iulia Ignat. A charming story about a little girl finding a mysterious and magical ball.
Afterwards, we got creative and held a workshop, where both children and adults made their very own Mărțișor-Cărțișor!
Mărțișor (pronounced mar-tsee-shor) is a Romanian spring tradition celebrated on the 1st of March. Small, handmade symbolic charms, tied with a red-and-white twisted thread, are gifted as expressions of affection, good luck, and the arrival of spring, and is also celebrated in Bulgaria, Moldova, and North Macedonia. Cărțișor — a playful mix of the words carte (book) and Mărțișor — puts a bookish twist on the tradition, making it a perfect fit for an event at a library.
This was a wonderful time for Romanian speaking families to partake in a beloved tradition, but also share it with everyone participating, as well as enjoying a new story which both monolingual- and bilingual children could enjoy.
We thank everyone for participating on this cozy, yet exciting day, and for welcoming spring with us!
