The arrival of spring is celebrated in various ways across cultures. However, in the cultural development of Romanians in Eastern Serbia, there has been a discontinuity, as oral tradition was the primary method of transmitting knowledge, and written records were not preserved. Legends about the arrival of spring, which have survived over the years, partially align with interpretations of this celebration.
Since the arrival of spring had not been celebrated according to the age-old tradition, and the beautiful custom called Mărțișor had not been observed, the Romanian National Minority Council in Kučevo organized, for the first time, an event dedicated to Mărțișor. The “Valea Daisi” Association, led by Slađan Marjanović, organized the celebration. They announced that this event would become a tradition, welcomed with enthusiasm by the large audience from localities such as Majdanpek, Golubac, Ćuprija, Petrovac, Svilajnac, Kučevo, etc., who filled the hall completely.
The event was honored by the presence of the Executive Council President of CNMNR, Daniel Magdu, vice presidents Jasmina Glišić and Stevan Mihailov, as well as Mariana Stratulat, Director of the “Libertatea” Press and Publishing House in Panciova.
“I am pleased to see that every time I come here, more and more people participate. This demonstrates that what we are doing is effective and that our activities are bearing the desired results. We are Romanians on both sides of the Danube. This time, we took a step further because, besides the Council members and our departments, we also have a vice president from your area, Dr. Jasmina Glišić. The ties between us are becoming stronger,” said Daniel Magdu.
Mariana Stratulat also spoke about the fruitful collaboration, which opened the doors of “Libertatea” to readers from this part of Serbia. She highlighted that, for the first time in the publication's history, there is an official correspondent from Eastern Serbia, ensuring that important local events are reflected in the newspaper. As part of this collaboration, Mariana Stratulat presented Dr. Jasmina Glišić with a certificate of appreciation, expressing the desire to continue this successful partnership.
Dr. Ivica Glišić, President of the European Forum for History and Culture and a respected community member, spoke about the association’s recent achievements and highlighted the events organized and the success achieved in CNMNR elections. He emphasized that the Romanian community must work closely together, as it faces similar challenges regarding education, declining numbers of children, and mass emigration abroad, which leads to the depopulation of villages.