On March 1, Bulgarians greet each other with "Happy Mother Martha" and tie martenitsi to the closest people. People all over the world welcome and send off the seasons, but in Bulgaria it seems that the coming of spring and the coming new beginning are an idea more significant. In this article you will find out a little more about the harbinger of spring Baba Marta and the customs surrounding this day.
Folk legends say that Baba Marta is the sister of Golyam Sechko (January) and Little Sechko (February). Grandma Marta has a changeable mood and is very often angry because her brothers either drink the wine or make a big mess. That is why she constantly changes her moods, sometimes she is gentle and kind, sometimes harsh and angry, which also reflects the weather in March - sometimes warm, sometimes frosty.
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Bulgarians have started tying martenitsi to earn the mercy of Baba Marta and to enjoy a mild and pleasant month of March. Martenitsa symbolizes health, fertility and long life. Martenits are almost always made of white and red threads, but in some parts of the Rhodope you can also find multi-colored martenits, most often blue in color. White is a symbol of innocence, purity and new beginnings. The color red represents fire, the sun and life. The blue in martenits makes reference to sky and water, divine eternity and aristocracy. If somewhere you meet a martenitsa with a green color, it is a sign of health, revival and festivity.
Today, the perception remains,
according to which the martens are taken off the moment we see a stork. It is customary to leave martenits on blossoming trees. If we see a stork standing still, it is a sign of a lazy summer. In the past, girls knew about their future husband according to the martenitsa. The young girls took off the martens and placed them under a stone. After half a year, they came to the same place, and if there were clusters of ants around the martenitsa, then their chosen one would not be particularly wealthy. When girls wanted to be healthy, ruddy and smiling, they tied martenits on a blossoming tree. In case they want to get rid of evils and bad luck, they put their martenets in running water.
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According to an old Bulgarian tradition, the border between the old and the new is associated with the appearance of evil forces. With the sending of winter, people also sent away the bad forces, and at the end of February they cleaned and destroyed their homes of everything old. The trust says that Baba Marta likes to see young and beautiful maidens, not old women. Therefore, in order to win her favor, the girls walked cheerfully and laughingly through the streets on the 1st of March, while the adults stayed at home.
The first of March is a colorful, cheerful and full of love Bulgarian holiday. On this day, Bulgarians everywhere unite under the title "white and red", and there is nothing more beautiful than any unification!
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