Hi everyone!
March is a pretty busy month back home because a few of our bigger holidays are in the first two weeks of that month. The first of March is Baba Marta, a holiday dedicated to the ending of winter and the welcoming of spring. We usually wear red and white bracelets that our family and friends have given us. According to tradition, you are only allowed to take them off when you see a blooming tree or a stork. Then, the third of March is our independence day, so it’s a national holiday where everyone takes a day off, and there are a lot of events happening. We also celebrate the eighth of March, International Women’s Day, as a popular holiday. Usually, men would give flowers to the women in their life, which is always a nice gesture.
A bracelet I saw on a tree on campus
Because I can’t be home for those holidays, I have found ways to celebrate them in Wellesley. For Baba Marta, which is one of my favorite holidays ever, with Slater we organized an event where we made those red and white bracelets with other people who celebrate the holiday and some friends who were just interested in the tradition. It was a really nice moment of sharing my culture and celebrating Baba Marta with others.
I didn’t do anything as grand for the other holidays. On the third of March we celebrated one of my friend’s birthday, which is why I was rather busy that day. We had a surprise party for her in my room since I live in Tower, which tends to be one of the louder residential buildings. Then, on the eighth of March, it was one of my busiest days of the week, so I was tired by the time my work ended at 6 pm. When I went back to my room, I saw that I had gotten a delivery of flowers from my dad who had them ordered here. That was a really sweet gesture on his part, and it honestly made my day.
So, yeah, it can feel difficult to keep your culture and traditions close to you when you go to college, away from your family, but I think that it’s super important to find ways to celebrate and embrace your culture. I honestly think Wellesley makes that super easy, and there are a lot of people who would be there to celebrate with you.
That’s it from me for the week. Stay safe!