For those of you who haven’t heard about it so far this is a
Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the upcoming spring. It's one of my
favorites!
We celebrate Baba Marta on the 1st of March by exchanging
martenitsi. They are normally made by red (the symbol of passion) and white (the
symbol of purity) woven threads which symbolize the wish for good health.
Who is Baba Marta (Grandma March)?
She is an old lady whose mood changes very rapidly.
By wearing
the red and white colors of the martenitsa we are asking Baba Marta for mercy
and we hope that the winter will pass fast and the spring will come sooner. Again as per the tradition we are wearing our
martenitsi until we see a stork or a blooming tree. This means that Marta is in
a good mood and is about to retire. So we can put off our martenitsa and tie it
on a branch of a fruit tree.
My favorite part of this tradition is the process of making
your martenitsa. Of course you can just go out and buy it, if you are in Bulgaria .But I do prefer to take the time
and make my own martenitsi. :)
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