On March 7, 2026, the Romanian Embassy in Tashkent organized a cultural and social event to celebrate the beginning of spring. Traditionally, the arrival of this season is celebrated in Romania with a holiday called Mărțișor, the significance of which, in terms of spiritual heritage, is recognized worldwide. On the first day of spring, women and girls receive small gifts in the form of handmade jewelry entwined with two threads—red and white. This jewelry, like the holiday itself, is called Mărțișor.
To mark the occasion, the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Uzbekistan organized a creative workshop at the British School in Tashkent to present Romanian folk traditions and teach the art of making Mărțișor. A table with Romanian national sweets was set as part of the event.
According to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania in Tashkent, H.E. Mr. Daniel Cristian Cioban, the celebration of Martisor for the third time in a row in Uzbekistan is a special example of relations of friendship and mutual understanding. Last year, Romania and the Republic of Uzbekistan celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with various events: an exchange of congratulatory letters between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (October 6, 2025), a lecture by the Ambassador of Romania at the Tashkent State University of Economics (October 6, 2025), an exhibition of paintings and installations at the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan (November 24 - December 5, 2025) and the Days of Romanian Cinema in Uzbekistan (December 22-23, 2025). Romanian-Uzbek cooperation is developing very successfully in all areas, against the backdrop of significant reforms carried out in Uzbekistan. Data from the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan show that 2025 was one of the best years in the history of Romanian-Uzbek relations in terms of bilateral trade volume. Uzbekistan is a very valuable partner of Romania in Central Asia. There is enormous potential for cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Ambassador noted that the traditional Romanian spring festival, Mărțișor, has much in common with the ancient traditions of Navruz, which brings our peoples closer together. The Ambassador also congratulated all women on March 8th, wishing them happiness, good health, success in all their endeavors, and peace and tranquility in their families.
The event took place in a very friendly atmosphere.
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The tradition of Mărțișor has been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017, under the title Cultural Practices Associated with March 1st. On December 6, 2017, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage voted to inscribe Cultural Practices Associated with March 1st (Mărțișor)—a multinational dossier coordinated by Romania and compiled jointly with the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Republic of Bulgaria—on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The meeting was held in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from December 4 to 9, 2017.
