Yesterday, my son had a snail mail from grandma. He was excited to open it, he knows it's his birtday soon and he is expecting something, a birthday card from Bulgaria. Tadaaan!! A nice birthday card and Martenitsa's!!! We were both excited to wear the Martenitsa. Every year we receive Martenitsa from mom in law. MARTENITSA is a bulgarian traditional bracelet, white and red colors made from yarn. They have different designs and sizes. The traditional version are the male and female dolls, Pizho and Penda but nowadays, they make varities of bracelets, some Martenitsa is made with beads or even with real gold.
Martenitsa is "GRANDMA MARCH" or Baba Marta. According to the folk story, Baba Martha is a grumpy, moody old lady and people believe that by wearing red and white colors they would receive mercy from Baba Martha so that the Winter will soon be over and the Spring would come right away. Source
Wearing Martenitsa symbolizes the wish of good health and the beginning of the Spring. You always receive and give Martenitsa with each other as a gift. Bulgarians start wearing them on 1st of March. The white colors symbolizes purity, the red color is for life and passion. Source But overall, combining these two colors means a good health, harvest and prosperity for everyone. My son and I started to wear it, but then my husband said, officially you wear it on the first of March, so we took them off quickly. lols
Martenitsa bracelets are given by your loved ones. Children love to collect them. Usually I only get one, but my son loves to have them, he would wear 3-4 martenitsa bracelets with different designs. You wear it everyday until you see the first stork or swallow. You take it off and hang the martenitsa on a tree. Why on a tree? I saw a lot of martenitsa's hanging on trees, giving trees health and fertility and that tree would bloom and give a lot of fruits. Do we hang them on a tree? Yes, we do. You can choose a tree and tie it there.
Once I gave a martenitsa to my Romanian neighbor and to her boyfriend. She was happy to have it. This tradition is the same in Romania, also in Republic of Macedonia, as well as in Greece, Albania and Moldova. Source
Memories with my good friend Lidia-our bracelets Photo source Lidia's FB
According to a story, the first Martenitsa was created in 7th-century during the battle between the Bulgarian Khan Asparuh (Bulgarian ruler) and the Byzantines- Eastern Roman Empire). After winning the battle the Bulgarian Khan sent eagles with white threads to announce the victory. The threads turned bloody during the flight, thus creating the first Martenitsa. Source. So now, I understand why the colors of Martenitsa are red and white.
Do you like wearing bracelets too?
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