Who is Baba Martha???

Baba Martha literally translated Grandma Martha is the name of a mythological creature in Bulgarian mythology. According to the myth she always comes at march and brings with her spring and ending the cold winter. Baba Marta is seen as an old lady who has very contrasting moods. This is related to the weather during the month of March, which is traditionally extremely variable in Bulgaria – warm and sunny weather means that Baba Marta is happy; when she is angry, the winter frost returns. The majority of the customs connected to Baba Marta aim to make her happy and so bring about spring faster. The holiday of Baba Martha is at 1st March and it is celebrating with exchanging of martenitsi.

marthenitsa "Pizho and Penda"

The Marthenitsa is either white and red colored wristbands or figurines called Pizho and Penda. You should take of your marthenitsa at the end of March or until you see a stork, which is a sign that the spring has already come.  The white and red woven threads symbolize the wish for a good health. The ritual after taking off your martenitsa is to tie it on a branch of fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck.

There is a legend about the beginning of the tradition is that everything started at the seventh century when during a war between Bulgaria and Byzantine. According to the legend the Bulgarian Khan Asparuh wanted to send a message to his people across Danube,  he tied his letter with a white string to the leg of a white pigeon. The Byzantines saw the pigeon flying and shot it with an arrow. The message was delivered but the white string was stained with the red of the pigeon's blood. The Bulgars then started to wear this thread.

On the first march if you are walking on the Bulgarian streets you the first thing you will notice are the matenitsi, everyone has decorated their clothes with them. Moreover, you can see decorated dogs and cats. In the small villages in the mountains people decorate their domestic animals: lambs, kids, young horses. Houses have their own martenitsa, as well..