A Martenitsa
The first of March is a very special day in Bulgaria. It's Baba Marta day. Grandmother March day. And, Baba Marta is a day that makes everyone happy and joyful.
Baba Marta is an ancient holiday. It celebrates the goodbye of winter and the coming of spring. And, on Baba Marta everyone wears Martenitsas.
The Martenitsa is an ancient heathen symbol that represents Baba Marta. The Martenitsa is made of twined red and white threads which come together at the head of two bell shaped symbols. One made from red thread, and the other from white thread. The red one stands for strength, health, and fertility. And, the white one speaks for innocence and beauty. And, very importantly, Martenitsas bring blessings and fortune for the coming 12 months,
Martenitsas are found all over Bulgaria. Everyone wears one. And, so deep is this tradition, that people even decorate their animals and pets with Martenitsas. But, there are two very important things that make Baba Marta complete. The first one is the attaching of a small sprig of lilac to the Martenitsa, and the second one is the sighting of swallows. Then spring in Bulgaria has definitely come
Baba Marta. A Bulgarian way of greeting the spring.
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