March 1, 2012

Честит Баба Марта!

Happy Baba Marta!

March, the first month of spring, is welcomed on the first with great joy in Bulgaria. This day is Baba Marta Day and is celebrated with all the enthusiasm of Christmas.

Baba Marta (translated "Grandmother March") is a mythical character who symbolizes the coming of spring. When she is happy, the sun shines, but when she is upset, we are in for more cold weather. One of the things that makes this old lady happy is seeing people wearing martinitsi. According to the old Bulgarian tradition, these special bracelets are made for this day with red and white threads tied together and are worn to bring health and strength and to protect themselves from the "evil eye".

Three of my students and me showing off our martinitsi.

The martinitsi are worn until the first storks appear. When you have seen a stork, you can remove your martinitsa and put it on a blossomed tree or throw it towards the bird and say, "Take the ugliness of the winter away; bring forth the beauty of the spring!" It can also be put under a rock. After a few days you can look under the rock and make predictions. If there are ants under it, a lot of lambs will be born this year. If there are worms, a lot of horses will be born. If there are ladybugs, there will be a lot of calves.


The ritual of exchanging martinitsi follows strict rules. They are always given as gifts; you would never buy one for yourself, and they are given to friends, loved ones, and to those whom you feel close. Some are meant to be worn pinned to clothing or around the neck, but most are worn on the wrist.

Showing off my collection.

This custom came about when the Bulgar Khan Asparukh wanted to send a message to Bulgars across the Danube. He tied his letter with a white string to the leg of a white pigeon. The Bysantines saw the pigeon flying and shot it with an arrow. The message was delivered but the white string was stained with the pigeon's red blood. The Bulgars then started to wear martinitsi made of red and white thread twisted together (according to Wikipedia).

I made about 60 martinitsi by twisting red and white yarn together the way our art teacher showed me. The morning of Baba Marta Day, I didn't make it to the teachers' room before several students stopped me and tied their gifts on my wrist. I wasn't real confident about what I supposed to do in return, but I pulled my homemade martinitsi out of my bag and tied them on their wrists. They seemed happy, so I decided that's all there was to it. I walked into the teachers' room then and received some really nice gifts like the beaded bracelet and handmade pin (tatted, I think).

These tiny dolls are named Pizho and Penda. I'm not sure what they have to do with Baba Marta. Maybe I'll find out by next March 1. In the meantime, I'll be wearing my martinitsi and hoping for an early spring and for health and strength in the coming months.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing you all health and strength,

Joan