People wear these Baba Marta bracelets for most of March, believing them to act as protection against evil spirits, demons, and illness. Oftentimes, people create their martenitsi with additional decorations, including beads, shells, and even garlic. The most common tradition on Baba Marta Day is that of the Мартеница ( martenitsa), which is a Гривна ( grivna), or “wrist band,” made of бял и червен конец ( byal i cherven konets), or “red- and white-colored thread.” These two colors are said to represent different things the red is for blood or life, and the white is purity and happiness. When is Baba Marta?Įach year, Bulgarians officially begin celebrating Baba Marta Day on March 1, and the holiday can actually last all through the month of March. → To learn how to express your own bad mood, we have a vocabulary list for that too. → For some useful weather-related Bulgarian words, visit our Weather vocabulary list! Because March in Bulgaria is known for being a month of changing weather, it’s believed that Baba Marta is behind any bad weather or storms that occur during March. In addition, Baba Marta is known for her often-changing mood and anger toward her brothers. Therefore, the holiday of Baba Marta is associated with the beginning of a new cycle in nature and with wishes for health and fertility. Baba Marta represents the month of March, as well as the beginning of spring. Are you ready? Let’s get started!īaba Marta (Granny March Day) is a feast associated with the coming of spring and the mythical figure of Baba Marta.Īccording to the Baba Marta legend, she is the sister of two other characters, named Big Sechko and Little Sechko, who represent the months of January and February. In this article, you’ll learn all about Baba Marta Day, the character behind it, and the most common traditions for the Baba Marta Bulgaria holiday. At its center is the mythical Baba Marta Bulgarian folktale character, who personifies every aspect of the month of March. The Romanian holiday Mărțișor is a variant of Baba Marta.In Bulgaria, Baba Marta Day (also called Grandma March Day) is a unique holiday associated with the beginning of spring, and can last all through the month of March. It also resembles the German tradition of hanging empty eggs in blossoming trees during the (now Christian) Eastern folklore and the Persian tradition of hanging fruit in trees at midwinter. The Bulgarian tradition resembles folklore known in parts of Asia and South America, to wear a lucky bringing friendship bracelet around the wrist until it wears out. Some people then tie their martenitsa to a tree, others place it under a rock and based on what they find there the next morning guess what kind of a year this one would be. People wear martenitsa for a certain period, the end of which usually is connected with the first signs of spring birds like storks or swallows. Children usually compete who will get the most. The martenitsa comes in all shapes and sizes - from building packages to strings on a newborn's arm. In ancient times women’s wedding dresses were red. Red represents the woman and health: it is a sign of blood, conception and birth. Later, under the influence of Christian mythology it began to indicate integrity and virginity – white is the color of Christ. The white color first symbolized man, the power light solar zone. In the small villages in the mountains people decorate their houses, kids and domestic animals. They are given away to friends and family and are worn around the wrist or on clothes. Martenitsi are red and white coloured bands or figurines that symbolise health and happiness, a lucky charm against evil spirits. Martenitsi Martenitsi, hung on fruit tree in blossom, Bulgaria. The beach was named after the Baba Marta. This story can also be found in German folklore, for instance in the "Frau Holle" or Mother Hulda legend.īaba Marta Beach is a beach on the southern coast of Nelson Island, an Island off of Antarctica. One says that on that day she does her pre-spring cleaning and shakes her mattress for the last time before the next winter - all the feathers that come out of it pour on Earth like snow - the last snow of the year. As folklore there are different versions of the Baba Marta tale. The tradition of giving friends red-and-white interwoven strings brings health and happiness during the year and is a reminder that spring is near.īaba Marta ("Grandma March") is believed to be a feisty lady who always seems to be grudging at her two brothers, January and February, while the sun only comes out when she smiles. Bulgarians celebrate on March 1 a centuries-old tradition and exchange martenitsi on what is called the day of Baba Marta.
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