For those who love Bulgaria and its history or are just curious...
Честита баба Марта!
If you walk along the streets in Bulgaria on the 1st March your eyes will be captured by martenitzas. Everyone has their clothes decorated, moreover, you can also see dogs and cats decorated with them. In the countryside people decorate their livestock so wherever you look you will see lambs, kids and young fouls also wearing martenitzas. Buildings don’t escape as they have their own martenitzas. This tradition is associated with optimism and anticipation of warmer weather, fertility and well-being and is unique to Bulgaria and its people.
On the morning of 1st March, people set a small fire with lots of smoke in their yards. Then everybody gathered jumps over the fire three times, facing the rising sun, in order to be purified from evil forces and guarded against diseases. The lady of the house takes out red clothes and fabrics and puts them on the branches of trees, in front of the house, as well as on the fence. Only then does she decorate the children and the animals with the martenitzas made out of red and white threads.
Martenitzas usually are made by women of wool, silk or cotton yarns. The threads are woven together. Sometimes their ends are made into tassels from the same yarn. Traditional martenitzas could include other elements such as silver or golden coins, blue beads, garlic, snail shells, horsetail hairs, etc. When bound together, they form an amulet, which once was considered as a ritual sign of protection from evil spirits, illnesses and negative thoughts. Nowadays, many of these functions are forgotten and it now symbolises the coming of spring, although even now Bulgarians believe they will be healthy during the whole year if they wear martenitza in March. There is an ancient saying that "If you don't wear your martenitsa, Baba Martha will bring evil things to you".
The mythical character of Grandmother March, in Bulgarian “Baba Martha”, personifies the spring, the sun that can easily burn the fair skin of people's faces. According to the folklore belief, Baba Martha is an old limp lady, who rapidly changes her mood from bad to good and back again. She carries an iron stick to learn on. When she smiles the sun is shining; when she is mad at somebody - cold weather firms the ground. The majority of these rituals aim to make her happy and merciful. The name March comes from the Latin Martius, i.e. ‘of Mars’, the god of war, son of Jupiter and Junona. Old Bulgarians called it “birch month” – because the birch trees begin to grow leaves and give sap. Other traditions, related to March, include the one that at dawn, even before the month begins, young ones must be the first to meet the willful old woman. Thus she’d be smiling and merry, and the weather will be good and sunny. Also, in March people may be reluctant to have their hair cut so that she does not "cut" their brains and they become stupid.
People believe that Baba Martha would visit only clean and tidy houses. That's why they clean their houses thoroughly at the end of February. Symbolically this is a spring cleaning from all bad, old and unfertile stuff from the past year. Baba Marta had specific requirements to the people she was going to meet the very first day in March. Elderly people wouldn’t go out early in the morning because they could get her mad. She likes to meet young girls and women on that day, she is also favorable towards people who wear martenitza.
Children wear their martenitzas on the right wrist, around the neck or on the breast, while young girls and brides wear them around the neck or woven into their hair. Men, however, tie the martenitza above their left elbow or left ankle. In some regions they put them under their left heel in the shoe for if someone sees them with a martenitza their masculinity might be "tied". Martenitzas are tied on young animals and the fruit trees. Once we have those tokens, we keep them until we see the first signs of spring - a stork, crane or swallow, or blossoming tree. Than some will tie the martenitza on a fruit tree branch, others will put the token under a stone. The kind of insect found alongside the token on the next day will determines their health for the rest of the year. If it is a worm or an ant, it will be a very healthy year, and they will have success, although finding an ant means they will have to work hard in order to reach it. If it is a spider, then they are in trouble and might not have good luck with health and personal achievements.
Today's martenitza is found in many styles and sizes - from Guiness-worthy giant packages to two simple tiny strings, placed gently on a newborns’ tiny wrists. Children now compete to see who will get the most and are often seen walking around more decorated than a Christmas tree. However, martenitza always bears the same meaning - a lucky charm against the evil spirits of the world, a token for health and a sign of appreciation.
On the morning of 1st March, people set a small fire with lots of smoke in their yards. Then everybody gathered jumps over the fire three times, facing the rising sun, in order to be purified from evil forces and guarded against diseases. The lady of the house takes out red clothes and fabrics and puts them on the branches of trees, in front of the house, as well as on the fence. Only then does she decorate the children and the animals with the martenitzas made out of red and white threads.
Martenitzas usually are made by women of wool, silk or cotton yarns. The threads are woven together. Sometimes their ends are made into tassels from the same yarn. Traditional martenitzas could include other elements such as silver or golden coins, blue beads, garlic, snail shells, horsetail hairs, etc. When bound together, they form an amulet, which once was considered as a ritual sign of protection from evil spirits, illnesses and negative thoughts. Nowadays, many of these functions are forgotten and it now symbolises the coming of spring, although even now Bulgarians believe they will be healthy during the whole year if they wear martenitza in March. There is an ancient saying that "If you don't wear your martenitsa, Baba Martha will bring evil things to you".
The mythical character of Grandmother March, in Bulgarian “Baba Martha”, personifies the spring, the sun that can easily burn the fair skin of people's faces. According to the folklore belief, Baba Martha is an old limp lady, who rapidly changes her mood from bad to good and back again. She carries an iron stick to learn on. When she smiles the sun is shining; when she is mad at somebody - cold weather firms the ground. The majority of these rituals aim to make her happy and merciful. The name March comes from the Latin Martius, i.e. ‘of Mars’, the god of war, son of Jupiter and Junona. Old Bulgarians called it “birch month” – because the birch trees begin to grow leaves and give sap. Other traditions, related to March, include the one that at dawn, even before the month begins, young ones must be the first to meet the willful old woman. Thus she’d be smiling and merry, and the weather will be good and sunny. Also, in March people may be reluctant to have their hair cut so that she does not "cut" their brains and they become stupid.
People believe that Baba Martha would visit only clean and tidy houses. That's why they clean their houses thoroughly at the end of February. Symbolically this is a spring cleaning from all bad, old and unfertile stuff from the past year. Baba Marta had specific requirements to the people she was going to meet the very first day in March. Elderly people wouldn’t go out early in the morning because they could get her mad. She likes to meet young girls and women on that day, she is also favorable towards people who wear martenitza.
Children wear their martenitzas on the right wrist, around the neck or on the breast, while young girls and brides wear them around the neck or woven into their hair. Men, however, tie the martenitza above their left elbow or left ankle. In some regions they put them under their left heel in the shoe for if someone sees them with a martenitza their masculinity might be "tied". Martenitzas are tied on young animals and the fruit trees. Once we have those tokens, we keep them until we see the first signs of spring - a stork, crane or swallow, or blossoming tree. Than some will tie the martenitza on a fruit tree branch, others will put the token under a stone. The kind of insect found alongside the token on the next day will determines their health for the rest of the year. If it is a worm or an ant, it will be a very healthy year, and they will have success, although finding an ant means they will have to work hard in order to reach it. If it is a spider, then they are in trouble and might not have good luck with health and personal achievements.
Today's martenitza is found in many styles and sizes - from Guiness-worthy giant packages to two simple tiny strings, placed gently on a newborns’ tiny wrists. Children now compete to see who will get the most and are often seen walking around more decorated than a Christmas tree. However, martenitza always bears the same meaning - a lucky charm against the evil spirits of the world, a token for health and a sign of appreciation.
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