The first day of March is an important celebration for all Bulgarians. It signifies the end of a bleak, cold winter and the imminent onset of spring. March is the only month of the year that is female and is marked with the celebration of ‘Baba Marta’ which literally means ‘Granny March’, thought to be a grouchy old woman with frequent mood swings synonymous with the weather patterns in her month.
In days gone by this was a time when people wished for decent and plentiful crops. Today, though, Bulgarians give one another red and white tassels or small woven dolls called Martenitsa (pl: martenitsi) to celebrate the coming of spring. There are many folklore tales about the meaning of the martenitsa but the most widely accepted is simply that the white symbolises the purity of the melting snow and the red the setting of the sun, which becomes more and more intense as spring progresses.
Martenitsi are usually worn on the clothes pinned near to the collar or on the hand tied around the wrist. Many people wear several martenitsi, which they have received as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues and, amongst children, there is now a somewhat keen competition to see how imaginatively their martenisti can be worn. Once you are given a martenitsa, you must wear it until you see a stork and at that moment you tie the symbol to the nearest budding tree, passing on the health and good luck that you have enjoyed while wearing it. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and is evidence that Baba Marta has been pleased and is about to retire.
Alongside the folklore tradition which has been celebrated for more than a thousand years, the Martenitsa has became a strong symbol of peace, love, health and happiness among Bulgarians around the world who wear their martenitsi with pride on this special day. The national holiday on March 1st reinforces the values which the martenitsa has carried down through the centuries .. and that's why we have chosen the martenitsa as our logo
Martenitsi are usually worn on the clothes pinned near to the collar or on the hand tied around the wrist. Many people wear several martenitsi, which they have received as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues and, amongst children, there is now a somewhat keen competition to see how imaginatively their martenisti can be worn. Once you are given a martenitsa, you must wear it until you see a stork and at that moment you tie the symbol to the nearest budding tree, passing on the health and good luck that you have enjoyed while wearing it. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and is evidence that Baba Marta has been pleased and is about to retire.
Alongside the folklore tradition which has been celebrated for more than a thousand years, the Martenitsa has became a strong symbol of peace, love, health and happiness among Bulgarians around the world who wear their martenitsi with pride on this special day. The national holiday on March 1st reinforces the values which the martenitsa has carried down through the centuries .. and that's why we have chosen the martenitsa as our logo
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