1. HAPPY
Baba Marta

2. On the first day of
March and for a few
days afterwards,the
Bulgarians exchange
and wear white and red
tassels or small dolls
called "Пижо и Пенда"
(Pizho and Penda). In
Bulgarian folklore the
name Baba Marta (in
Bulgarian баба Марта
meaning Grandma
March) is related to a
grumpy old lady whose
mood swings change
very rapidly.

4. The tradition calls for
wearing the
martenitsa until the
person sees a stork or
a blooming tree. The
stork is considered a
harbinger of spring
and as evidence that
Baba Marta is in a
good mood and is
about to retire.

5. Tradition
This is an old pagan tradition that remains
almost unchanged today. The common
belief is that by wearing the red and white
colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba
Marta for mercy. They hope that it will
make winter pass faster and bring spring.
Many people wear more than one
martenitsa. They receive them as presents
from relatives, close friends and
colleagues. Martenitsa is usually worn
pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or
tied around the wrist.

6. Wearing one or more martenitsi is a very popular
Bulgarian tradition. The martenitsa symbolises
new life, conception, fertility, and spring. The
time during which it is worn is meant to be a
joyful holiday commemorating health and long
life. The colours of the martenitsa are interpreted
as symbols of purity and life, as well as the need
for harmony in Nature and in people's lives.

7. The martenitsa is also a
stylized symbol of
Mother Nature. During
early-spring/late-winter,
nature seems full of
hopes and expectations.
The white symbolizes
the purity of the melting
white snow and the red
symbolizes the setting of
the sun which becomes
more and more intense
as spring progresses.
These two natural
resources are the source
of life. They are also
associated with the male
and female beginnings.

8. Use
Martenitsi are always given as gifts. People never buy
martenitsi for themselves. They are given to loved ones,
friends, and those people to whom one feels close. They
are worn on clothing, or around the wrist or neck, until the
wearer sees a stork or swallow returning from migration, or
a blossoming tree, and then removes the Martenitsa and
hangs it on a blossoming tree.