Transcript Martenista

Martenista
OLD BULGARIAN
CUSTOM AND
TRADITION
All over the world people meet spring with joy
and new hope but it is only in Bulgaria
where it is saved as an ancient custom. If
you are walking along the streets in
Bulgaria on the 1st of March you will
witness smiling faces. But first of all your
eyes will be captured by martenitsa.
Everyone has decorated their clothes with
them. Moreover, you can see decorated dogs
and cats. Houses have their own martenitsa,
as well….
The classical ”martenista”is
made out of red and white
weaved threads. Sometimes it
ends are made into tassels
from the same yarn. Usually
the tassels are decorated with
blue beads, small golden
coins colorful threads. In
ancient times martenitsa was
accepted as a ritual sign – an
amulet for protection from
evil spirit. But even now
Bulgarians believe that they
will be healthy during the
whole year if they wear
martenista in March…
The holiday is well – know as Baba
Marta (grandmother March). Her
image is as an old women which
is now angry now cheerful and
smiled, that’s why the weather in
March is as changeable as her.
On the first of March everybody
should wear martenista,
especially young children, just
married couples or newly born
domestic animals. Some of the
fruit trees, the handles of the
door, the vineyard also have their
own martenista.
People wear martenista for a certain period of
time. Usually the end of the period is
connected with the first signs of the coming
spring – blossomed trees, meeting of the
first spring birds like storks, swallows or
cranes. Then people remove their martenista
and tie them to a blossomed fruit tree.
The Martenista… this magical amulet
inherited by our predecessors is the first sign
of the coming spring…