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Bulgaria Martenitsi Tradition

Street vendors sell martinitsi on a sunny day in the town of Varna (some 450 km to the East of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. A Martenitsa pronounced (martenitsa),in plural Martenitsi, is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn. Martenitsi are worn from Baba Marta Day (March 1) until the wearer first sees a stork, a swallow or a budding. The name of the feast means "Grandmother March" in Bulgarian. The the wearing of Martenitsi are a Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the spring, which according to Bulgarian folklore begins in March. A typical Martenitsa consists of two small wool dolls, Pizho and Penda. Pizho, the male doll, is mainly white, whilePenda, the female doll, is distinguished by her skirt and is usually red. The red and white woven threads symbolize the wish for good health. They are the heralds of the coming of spring and of new life. While white as a color symbolizes purity, red is a symbol of life and passion, and so some ethnologists have proposed that, in its very origins, the custom might have reminded people of the constant cycle of life and death, the balance of good and evil, and the sorrow and happiness in human life. Tradition dictates that Martenitsi are always given as gifts, not bought for oneself. They are given to loved ones, friends, and those people to whom one feels close. Beginning on the first of March, one or more are worn pinned to clothing, or around the wrist or neckthen removes the Martenitsa. In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta (Grandmother March) evokes a grumpy old lady whose mood swings very rapidly. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa, people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. The ritual of finally taking off the Martenitsa is different in different parts of Bulgaria. Some people tie the Martenitsa on a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck, which the person wearing the Martenit

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