Oh Moldova's Holidays...

The first of March is a holiday in Moldova known as Martisor (marts-ee-shore). Supposedly, it marks the arrival of spring. As I woke up and looked at the knee deep snow outside my window, I knew for sure Mother Nature was playing one of her cruel jokes. Other then trekking to school with my pants legs tucked into my calf high boots feeling like an elf, the day went well. Students and friends give you flowers to pin to your shirt in the colors of red and white. They are fake flowers and are given as a sign of respect. My counterpart, Antonina, gave me my first Martisor. I was bombarded with students when I got into my 8th grade class. I love those kids. Now that the left side of my shirt is COVERED with these things, I am thinking how much longer it will take me to get ready in the morning if I have to pin them to each shirt I wear. Well, it isn't like I wear different shirts everyday, so that makes it a little easier. I just have to be careful when taking the shirt off and putting it back on, three to four days in a row.
Then came March 2nd, a Russian holiday. My counterpart approaches me on the 1st and invites to come to The Day of the Pancakes. I am thinking "awesome, what a great fundraiser, a pancake breakfast." I knew better than to assume American events happened here. I was curious to see what this holiday was all about. Apparently, each grade of Russian students (our school has Russian and Romanian students) make pancakes/blinzes/crepes and provides jam, honey, nuts, apples, candy, cookies, juice, compote and other goodies. They put on a concert complete with singing dancing and interesting skits. Everything is in Russian and the only words I can understand are hello, goodbye, thank you, please, I want, coffee, tea, I know, I don't know, and what. I would say I did pretty well under the circumstances. After the concert and everyone has pigged out on various crepes and the like, the place two scarecrows in the schoolyard and like them on fire. The lighting of the scarecrows is to do away with all the sadness, poverty, pain, and other bad things so spring will be great.
Yes, yet another holiday after the Pancake-Like Day. Women's Day is March 8th. We have a short vacation until March 9th and so some students chose to give presents today. But first, I had a student from the university come to teach my class today. She tried to make it on Monday, but due to short lessons, she arrived late. She taught my class, I took a break, and afterwards she gave me a box of chocolates and some cognac. Heck yeah, great teacher! So that was nice, because I didn't do anything! Then a student in my 11th grade class gave me a white and red carnation for Women's Day and said "I wish you happiness and a long life and that you will be as cute as you are now later." Yes, in English. So I am feeling good, carrying my bag of goodies home. Later in the afternoon, the girl I tutor once a week stops by my house to give me a box of chocolates, three carnations (even number of flowers is only given to the dead) and a big card. It was soooo sweet! Moldova has made me love receiving flowers. I realize what they mean to people here. It is no light matter to receive flowers, it is a sign of respect and love.
Now it is vacation time and I am heading to Chisinau for an Environmental Education In Service Training. There goes my vacation!