Baba Marta is Coming!

On every street corner at busy intersections you can see stands selling martenitsa, the red and white yarn adornments traditionally given by Bulgarians on March 1 to mark the holiday of Baba Marta (Grandma March).


Baba Marta marks the coming of spring, and Bulgarians wear their martenitsa strings around their wrists, or attached to their clothing, until they see a first tree in bloom, or a stork, or it's the end of the month and it's time to move on to other things.


When removed from wrists and clothing, the martenitsa is tied onto a branch of a tree with buds. The entire custom is quite pagan, yet everyone seems to enjoy it. The red and white symbolize good health, but some believe they also symbolize the constant cycle between life and death, good and bad, happiness and sorrow.

Comments

  1. CyprusFebruary 27, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    Greetings from Cyprus, really enjoyed your blog.
    eNJOY Baba Mart,

    Regards

    http://anewlifeincyprus.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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