![]() The main activities of the association are related to education and direct work with different groups of people - those with risky sexual behavior, drug addiction, youth with disabilities, young people with delinquent behavior, young people from the Roma community and an outstanding young people from elite schools. After such long and hard winters – everyone knows how cold it can be here in winter – it’s nice to be able to finally celebrate the coming of spring and somehow, the Baba Marta also honours friendship and good relations among people.Īssociation "Thirst for Life" is a nonprofit organization established in 2005. The Martenitsa is one of my favourite Bulgarian traditions, it seems to be a very beautiful festivity. You can find them in streets, in parks, in the mountains when you go hiking, just everywhere. In Bulgaria, you can see Martenitsas hanging everywhere, in every month of the year, because no one takes them off, only the wind and the animals. Then, they hang their Martenitsas on budding trees and bushes. People wear their Martenitsas until 22 March, or until they see a stork or the first budding plant, two signs of the coming spring. These gifts are obviously appreciated, and others are usually given in return. The giving of the present is usually accompanied by the wish “ Chestita Baba Marta!” which means “Happy Grandma-March”. Giving a Martenitsa to a sibling, a friend, a teacher or a colleague is a sign of appreciation and a well-wishing gesture. Pizho is white with red decorations, and Penda is red with white decorations. The Martenitsa dolls are a couple, male and female, and their names are Pizho and Penda. Generally, people give Martenitsas in form of bracelets, which are the most comfortable to wear, while the doll-shaped Martenitsas are usually pinned to the chest. Martenitsas are usually made of wool, but recently new materials have been added, like plastic, leather or paper. It can be a bracelet, a brooch, a doll, or it can have other shapes designed for children. Which shapes do Martenitsas have?Ī Martenitsa can come in different shapes. There, they celebrated the sacred wedding of the Earth and the Sun. It is also called “uterus cave”, and has been a sacred site for the Thracians for a very long time. The first photo shows a natural cave located in Bulgaria that has the unmistakable shape of a vagina. The ancient Thracians saw the Earth as a maiden who was penetrated by the Sun and thus became the Mother of all Life. My own interpretation, not only mine, rises from the fact that this festivity is much older than Bulgaria as a nation, therefore it seems clear to me that it is a celebration for the rebirth of life and the arrival of spring. Both colours represent the unity of Bulgaria, and of Bulgarians. The contemporary nationalistic interpretation is that red represents, blood, strength, friendship, warmth, and the sun and white stands for light and purity. The colours are not chosen randomly, they have a meaning. They are beautiful decorations that are traditionally made of white and red wool, often intertwined. The festivity is also called Martenitsa on this day people exchange small gifts that are called, in fact, Martenitsa. It is a unique and ancient tradition, dating back 1,000 years at least, which celebrates the arrival of spring after the long and harsh winter. Actually, the Baba Marta day is not connected with anyone named Marta, but with the Bulgarian word “Mart”, which means March. The 1st of March is a very special day in Bulgaria: it’s when the Baba Marta (grandma Marta) is celebrated. ![]()
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