REEECxEEI Crafternoon: Red & White Bracelet Workshop
Mar 1, 2026 12:15 - 1:30 pm
- Sponsor
- Eastern European Illini
- Cost
- Free and open to the public
- Contact
- Rachel Schmalz
- rschmalz@illinois.edu
- Views
- 3
- Originating Calendar
- Russian, E. European & Eurasian Center: Co-sponsored Events
Please join us on Sunday, March 1, from 12:15 pm to 1:30 pm for a REEEC x EEI Crafternoon event! We’ll enjoy festive music as we celebrate March 1 traditions and make our own red-and-white bracelets together.
Across Eastern Europe, March 1 marks the welcoming of spring through beloved traditions known by many names — martenitsa, mărțișor, martinka, martenička, verore, and more. Traditionally, people exchange small red and white adornments symbolizing health, prosperity, renewal, and the triumph of life over the cold, dark winter. These tokens are worn as bracelets, pins, or charms until the first signs of spring appear, when they are often tied to blossoming trees as a wish for good fortune.