Bulgarian traditions - Martenitsa
                If you happen to visit Bulgaria on the first day of March you are certain to notice almost every person adorned with pretty necklaces, bracelets and ornaments made from red and white yarn. Then from late March to mid-April, you will notice many fruit trees and shrubs decorated with these same beauties.
              “Martenitsa“( called after the name of March, Mart in Bulgarian) is a small piece of decoration, made from white and red yarn, which Bulgarians exchange on March1 and wear until they see the first blooming tree or the first stork, then remove and tie to a branch. The Martenitsa became a symbol of peace and love, health and happiness
             The white color symbolizes purity, innocence and joy. The red one is the color of life, health, passion, cordiality in friendship, and mutual love. It’s a common belief that the red color possesses the power of the sun which gives life, spirit and vigor to every creature.
             March 1 is also known as Baba Marta’s Day ( Grandma Marta’s Day). According to folklore traditions, Marta is an old, grumpy lady who rapidly swings her mood from best to worst and back again. It is strongly believed that spring comes to Bulgaria with the arrival of “Baba Marta”. Her dual nature of both merry and angry, of simultaneously approving and denying, resembles that of women, that’s why March is believed to be the only “female” month of the year- the month for the conception of spring, the month when the earth awakens to a new life after a long sleep, the month for the revival of the spirit and soul, the month for a new beginning.