March 1st, beginning of spring and Baba Marta

One of Bulgaria's unique holidays is Baba Marta ("Grandmother March"). Baba Marta was believed to have an easily shifting, volatile temper, smiling at one moment and frowning at another.

So on the 1st of March, in order to appease Baba Marta and soothe her temper, people attach "martenitsa" on their clothes, wrists or necks. Martenitsas were usually made of intertwined red and white threads. Those colors bear a strong symbolic meaning - red stands for blood/life, white stands for purity and happiness. In some parts of Bulgaria, martenitsas are made with a blue thread instead of white - where blue stands for health and longevity.

Nowadays, the creation of martenitsas is intertwined the folkloric figures of Pizho (male) and Penda (female):

The traditional belief states that people must wear martenitsa until they see a stork, swallow or a blooming tree and when they finally do, to tie it on a tree branch. This was believed to bring good luck and health.