“Flower of raspberry, Born in February, Make the whole world like me And take away all that’s beastly” - Folkloric song for Dragobete
The legend says that his name was initially Dragomir (symbolizing the god of love), the locals believed that Dragobete was officiating marriages of humans in the sky. In time the legend took another turn and it became a symbol of the beckoning spring and the awakening of nature to life, essentially the rebirth of life and love.
Everyone that would participate in those gatherings would be shielded from sickness, the maidens and those who help on the houses would receive the blessing from the god of love offering them well-being and wealth in their households.
The legend says that the water you find on wild strawberries (fragi) would have magic properties. The water would be gathered and used by unmarried girls which would make them more beautiful than ever and thus it would attract the gaze of all the boys.
People would arrange their houses to make a beautiful welcoming to the god of love ; dragobete would come with the fairies and bring gifts of love. They made sure that they could not welcome without a loved one/ a person, otherwise they would be condemned to spend another year until they could find their pair.
Right after lunch in romanian villages, the young kids would return from forests with bouquets of spring flowers. In the village center there was a ritual of matchmaking the children/ young unmarried individuals. The boys would run to the girls that they liked trying to kiss them (this is how they would share their love). If the girl let herself be caught and kissed then this would lead to their engagement and then marriage. It was a lucky event because it was witnessed by the eyes of dragobete.