Martenitsa - a Bulgarian tradition which is related to the ancient pagan history of the Balkan Peninsula and to all agricultural cults of nature.
A Martenitsa is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and usually in the form of two dolls, a male and a female: Pizho the white and Penda the red. The red and white woven threads symbolise the wish for good health, which are the heralds of the coming of spring and of new life. While white as a color symbolises purity, red is a symbol of life and passion.
Martenitsi can be tied to a blossoming tree as a symbol of approaching spring. One or more of them are usually worn pinned to clothing, or around the wrist or neck, from Baba Marta Day (literally means Grandma March Day, on 1 March), until the wearer sees a stork or swallow returning from migration, or a blossoming tree (or until late March), and then removes the Martenitsa.
The name "Baba Marta" evokes a grumpy old lady whose mood swings very rapidly. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa, people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. The first returning stork or swallow is taken as a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good mood and is about to retire.
The Martenitsa is also a stylised symbol of mother nature, the white symbolising the purity of the melting white snow and the red setting of the sun, which becomes more and more intense as spring progresses, as two natural resources of the source of life. They are also associated with the male and female beginnings, and in their balance, with the need for balance in life.
Tradition dictates that Martenitsi are always given as gifts, not bought for oneself. They are given to loved ones, friends, and those people to whom one feels close. Modern Martenitsi take a wider variety of forms and often incorporate colored beads and other elaboration. Wearing one or more Martenitsi is a very popular Bulgarian tradition. The time during which they are worn is meant to be a joyful holiday commemorating health and long life.
