Baba Marta (Grandma Marta)

March 1, or as the Bulgarian call it Baba Marta (Grandma Marta), is one of the most popular and unique Bulgarian feasts, related to a very special ritual. On this day people give each other a special amulet – the so-called martenitsa, wishing each other health, strength, longevity, and fertility all through the coming year. Martenitsa is usually made of two interwoven threads – a red one and a white one. In some regions of Bulgaria, the threads are only red, and in others – they are in many colors, but the dominant color is the red. In the traditional folk beliefs, the red color symbolizes the power of the sun, which gives energy and life to every being. On the day of the feast, everybody wears martenitsa on their clothes, or around their wrists. They wear the amulets until they see a stork or a tree in bloom.