![]() ![]() This tradition is an important part of the Culture of Bulgaria and there is a similar tradition in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as in Greece, Albania, Romania and Moldova. Being a purely pagan ritual by origin, Baba Marta Day is one of the oldest continuing traditions in Christian Europe. In March these amulets, worn around one's wrists and on their attire, can be seen almost everywhere in Bulgaria and in the neighboring regions. Another popular explanation is that white stands for wisdom and red for good health, which means that anyone giving you a martenitsa is wishing you both throughout the New Year. Combined together they mean "newborn", "rebirth", and "a new beginning" a celebration of life and survival. An obvious explanation, and perhaps a common belief people share, is that "red" stands for "life/birth" and "white" denotes "anew/on clear grounds". There are various theories, suggestions, and even several legends involving real historical figures about the symbolism of the red and white colours from which Martenitsa are made. The greeting exchanged on this day is Chestita Baba Marta (Bulgarian: Честита Баба Марта English: Happy Baba Marta), often shortened to ЧБМ on greeting cards. There is a great amount of folklore about Grandma March Day and the character of Baba Marta herself. Older Bulgarians call it Birch Month as it is around the time that birch trees start growing leaves and giving sap. (In Bulgaria we call them Pijo and Penda (Пижо и Пенда), and relate them to some beautiful springtime love stories and legends.) It is common in the spring to see trees festooned in Martenitsas.Ī Martenitsa (Bulgarian: мартеница), Macedonian: мартинка, Greek: μάρτης, Romanian: mărțiș, is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and usually in the form of two dolls, a male and a female. Once the stork or a blooming tree appear, the Martenitsa is taken off and hung on a tree. They are worn until a stork or a blossoming tree is seen, symbolizing the coming of spring, warmer weather, and well-being. Martenitsas (мартеница), usually in the form of a wrist band, small yarn dolls, or tassels, are created by combining red and white colored threads and are worn on that day and throughout, or even after, the month of March. Grandma March Day (or simply Baba Marta, Bulgarian: Баба Марта) is a holiday celebrated in Bulgaria, on March 1st. ![]() Here is some more information about the tradition itself, and what are the details and beliefs - more specifically in Bulgaria, that surround this traditional holiday. Some families still prepare them at home, and of course the kids at school. Almost to the point, where it has become so commercial, that we started importing our typical first-of-March amulets from distant countries like China, and put the faces of popular artists or even politicians on them – as absurd as it may seem, the commerce of these items has become a “short, but profitable endeavor” for the freelance traders, some of which of course have their own and more traditional production. ![]() I was looking for an inspiration for writing, so I decided to go a little bit deeper than that and explain how exactly this holiday is celebrated in Bulgaria, because we regard at it as a significant part of our culture, and it is very popular. We discussed the ways in which the holiday is celebrated in each of our countries and we have found a lot of common feats. With the approaching arrival of March, we were interested to find out that the first day of March is celebrated in very similar ways in our countries (even Moldova included). ![]() As you probably know, here at INFO SEGA, a small team of volunteers was formed, which participates in different projects with its aim toward the youth. ![]()
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