On the 1st of March Bulgarian people celebrate a traditional holiday called Baba Marta and it is related to welcoming the approaching spring. People all over the world meet spring with joy and new hopes but in Bulgaria it is saved as an ancient tradition.
On that day, Bulgarians exchange so-called "Martenitsa" and tell each other, "Chestita Baba Marta!"(Happy Grandma Marta!). This custom is essentially to wish great health, good luck, and happiness to family and friends. The name "Martenitsa" is taken from the Bulgarian word for March, or, as a legend tells, an angry old lady called Grandma Marta-Baba Marta in Bulgarian.
In Bulgarian folklore Baba Marta is a grumpy old woman who changes her mood very rapidly and it reflects in the changeable March weather. When she is smiling the weather is sunny and warm, but if she gets angry the cold will stay for longer and it may even snow. By wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa, they hoped that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.
The Martenitsa is made of twined red and white threads-woollen, silk, or cotton. The white is a symbol of strength, purity and happiness. The red is associated with health and blood.
When someone gives you a Martenitsa you should wear it either pinned on your clothes, on the hand tied around the wrist, or around your neck until you see, or a fruit tree in blossom for the first time in the season. After that you can tie it on a blossoming tree for fertility. Like kind of amulet, Martenitsa was regarded as a magic power believed to protect folks from "ill fortune", diseases and an evil eye.
The custom of wearing Martenitsa is probably one of the most interesting Bulgarian traditions and it is considered to be unique to Bulgaria. According to one of the many legends, this tradition is also related to the founding of the Bulgarian state in 681 AD.
