Baba marta bracelets11/26/2023 As folklore there are different versions of the Baba Marta tale. ![]() In folklore, Baba Marta ("Grandma March") is believed to be a feisty and temperamental lady who seems always to be in a bad mood with her two brothers, January and February - when the sun comes out only when she smiles. Being a purely pagan ritual by origin, Baba Marta Day is one of the oldest continuing traditions in Christian Europe. In March these amulets, worn around one's wrists and on their attire, can be seen almost everywhere in Bulgaria and in the neighboring regions. Another popular explanation is that white stands for wisdom and red for good health, which means that anyone giving you a Martenitsa is wishing you both throughout the new year. Combined they mean "newborn", "rebirth", and "a new beginning" a celebration of life and survival. An obvious explanation, and perhaps a common belief people share, is that "red" stands for "life/birth" and "white" denotes "anew/on clear grounds". There are various theories, suggestions, and even several legends involving real historical figures about the symbolism of the red and white colors from which Martenitsa are made. The greeting exchanged on this day is Chestita Baba Marta ( Bulgarian: Честита Баба Марта, "Happy Baba Marta"), often shortened to ЧБМ on greeting cards. There is a great amount of folklore about Grandma Marta Day and the character of Baba Marta herself. Older Bulgarians call it Birch Month as it is around the time that birch trees start growing leaves and giving sap. It is common in the spring to see trees festooned in Martenitsas. Once the stork or a swallow appears the Martenitsa is taken off and hung on a blooming tree. ![]() They are worn until a stork or a swallow is seen, symbolizing the coming of spring, warmer weather, and well-being. Martenitsas, usually in the form of a wrist band, small yarn dolls, or tassels, are created by combining red and white colored threads and are worn on that day and throughout March. Today the threads are still bought by people for their friends and family to show admiration.Grandma Marta Day (or simply Baba Marta, Bulgarian: Баба Марта, "Grandma Marta") is a holiday celebrated in Bulgaria, on March 1. The threads are hung somewhere outside the house like a gate to protect against evil spirits. It’s also believed in Romania that wearing the red and white bands leads to a prosperous and healthy year. Thanks to Nikolay, who made us all martenitsi to wear today! Let’s see how many of our wishes come true…īonus fact: “Mărţişor” is a Romanian holiday that is similar to “Baba Marta”. Some people also chose to throw them into the river and let them flow away, representing the troubles of life leaving. ![]() They would then come back nine days later to see if there had been any ants if there were the year would bring lots of sheep. ![]() Some people then tie their martenitsa to a tree – so next time when walking through a park, if you see red and white yarn bracelets hanging on a branch, you know the mystery behind it! It was also believed that people placed them under a rock. The tradition is to wear your martenitsa until you see some signs of spring: blossoming trees or birds like storks and swallows. Martenitsi come in many other shapes and sizes and people wear them as lucky charms. The most traditional martenitsa consists of two small dolls (male and female) and are called “Pizho and Penda” (Пижо и Пенда). The white initially represented human nature and strength, whilst the red showed health and the woman’s nature. These are red and white coloured bands or figurines that symbolise health and happiness. On this day people exchange “Martenitsi”. “Baba Marta” translates to “Grandma March”, the mythical character who brings the end of the bitter cold winter! Today is “Baba Marta Day”. In Bulgaria the 1st of March marks a holiday that welcomes the upcoming spring.
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