It joins us together in human fellowship. It encourages one to overlook small irritations. It turns our focus to the good around us. Share Wishes for Good Healthīaba Marta opens the door to greet everyone we meet - friends, colleagues, neighbors, even strangers - with genuine wishes for good health in the coming year. They come from the most unexpected people, and for that carry even more special meaning. Over the years I’ve received – and enjoyed – some rather elaborate productions, but the martenitsi I’ve cherished most are a handful of simple, homemade miniatures that I know where chosen just for me.
Selecting a few choice martenitsi and handing them out to friends is a simple way of telling others you care about them. Let’s briefly review my favorite three: Celebrate Friendship There are many reasons to rejoice on Baba Marta. Simple red and white yarn figures, wrist bands of red and white rope with solitary bead ornaments, elaborate wreaths and folk symbols with red and white woven into their designs - all part of Baba Marta, the holiday appointed to herald the coming of spring. Makeshift tables and pegboard displays are piled high with martenitsi of all shapes and sizes. March 1st is the name day of everyone named Martha, Martin, Martina.Today the streets of Bulgaria are strewn with red and white. The wearing of a Martenitsa used to be a kind of a magical ritual act: the twisted white and red woolen threads protected the person from the mechanisms of black magic. Traditionally, the Martenitsa has always been a unique amulet that was believed to provide protection from the powers of evil. The women’s wedding dresses and traditional costumes used to be red once upon a time. The red color in the Martenitsa was chosen to represent health and the woman’s nature - it is a sign of blood, conception and birth. Later influenced by Christian mythology, it became the symbol of virginity and virtuousness – the white color is the color of Christ. The white color of the Martenitsa initially symbolized the human nature, the strength and the light solar zone. The red-and-white woolen token called “Martenitsa”, after the name of the month “Mart” is the very sign of the coming March - the symbol of the wakening of the earth for a new life as well as the cult to the Sun. March is traditionally believed to be the only “female” month of the year - the month of conception of spring, the month of land giving birth to summer and fruitfulness. Her dual image of both merry and mischievous, of simultaneously approving and denying character, represents the woman as the beginning of life as well as the elemental devastating beginning at large.
According to the typically Bulgarian belief, spring comes with the arrival of “Baba Marta”. She is popular all around Bulgaria as "Grandmother Martha" (or "Baba Marta" in Bulgarian ). March 1st is known as the "Baba Marta" Day in Bulgaria – so, on the very March 1st, as well as the days following, all people give each other red-and-white tokens in the form of strips, ornaments or a pair of small woollen dolls, traditionally called “Pizho” (the male character) and “Penda” (the female one), also known by the name Martenitsas.Īccording to tradition, Marta (the female of the word “Mart”, the BG version of March) is an angry old lady who rapidly changes her mood from worst to best and back again. Then from late March to mid-April, you will notice many fruit trees and shrubs decorated with these same tokens.
If you by any chance visit Bulgaria on the first day of March you are certain to notice almost every person decorated with small tokens made from red and white woollen threads.
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