HAPPY BABA MARTA - HOW Bulgaria CELABRATE THAT DAY
MARTENITSA The Bulgarian wish for good Health, Strength and HappinessThe Martenitsa, given as an amulet in the period of spring, when nature gets “reborn” and starts blossoming again it was not only a reminder of that balance but also a wish for health, strength and happiness. The Martenitsa, or Pijo and Penda, is a Bulgarian tradition celebrating the arrival of spring. The martenitsa takes the form of a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1st until the 22nd March (or until the first time an individual sees a stork or a swallow). Mart (март) is the Bulgarian word for the month of March. The name of the holiday is Baba Marta, a Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the upcoming spring. The month of March, according to Bulgarian folklore, marks the beginning of springtime. Therefore, the first day of March, Granny Martha's Day, is a traditional holiday associated with sending off of winter and the welcoming of spring. Romanians also have a similar but not identical holiday on March 1, called "Martisor".
The red and white woven threads are not just meaningless decoration, but symbolize the wish for good health. They are the heralds of the coming of spring in Bulgaria and life in general. While white as a colour symbolizes purity and soul, red is a symbol of life and passion, thus 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 bad, of sorrow and happiness in human life.
On the first day of March and few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red tassels or small dolls called "Пижо и Пенда" (Pizho and Penda). In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta (in Bulgarian баба Марта meaning Grandma March) is related to a grumpy old lady whose mood swings change very rapidly.
This is an old pagan tradition and it remains almost unchanged today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. Many people wear more than one martenitsa. They receive them as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues. The Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good mood and is about to retire.
The ritual of finally taking off the martenitsa may be different in the different parts of Bulgaria. Some people would tie their martenitsa on a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck, which the person wearing the martenitsa has enjoyed himself while wearing it. Others would put the martenitsa under a stone with the idea that the kind of the creature (usually an insect) closest to the token the next day will determine the person's health for the rest of the year. If the creature is a larva or a worm, the coming year will be healthy, and full of success. The same luck is associated with an ant, the difference being that the person will have to work hard to reach success. If the creature near the token is a spider, then the person is in trouble and may not enjoy luck, health, or personal success.
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A very high letter of recommendation for Real Estate Agent KIKI(Please, write your full name if you want to go under your full name) Mohammad Abid Hafeez US Citizen February 20th 2022 This letter will serve as my very high letter of recommendation for Real Estate Agent KIKI of Bulgaria, one of the most trusted, educated in Master of Industrial Management and a friend that any foreigners can depend on her Real Estate transaction with confidence. My recent visit to Bulgaria in February 2022, Kiki assisted me and with the purchase of a first home in the City of Granit, CHIRPAN (STARA ZAGORA, Bulgaria. Being an American I have worked with many real estate brokers and agents in Bulgaria on several real estate search during my visit in Bulgaria and can say with confidence that Kiki is the best and result oriented agent/ broker I have ever met her on Google search and used to buy a property in Bulgaria. Kiki has the qualities that make her an extremely successful and effective broker. I can’t say enough about her professionalism and knowledge within the industry, specifically in Bulgaria. She has high integrity and is very conscientious and tenacious, always keeping the clients best interests in mind. My real estate purchase was a small transaction relative to the size of properties and transact ions Kiki normally handles but she treated my me with the same professionalism and courtesies one would expect for a very large transaction. One of the qualities, I respected the most was her honest business style. I recently retired as an Executive from the US Federal Government and working in USA for more than fifty years , I visited a beautiful country and People, didn’t had time to waste. She gets to the point quickly yet professionally, always respecting the clients time. She did a great job of listening to her client’s needs and does not waste time showing properties which do not meet the client’s objectives. She does research to assist with assessing a fair market value of the property for the offer and then negotiates effectively with the opposing broker on behalf of the client. She is extremely responsive to questions, often responding immediately to our late night emails after midnight. She shows great attention to the details enabling the transaction to get done. I have the highest level of confidence in her. Our transaction went very smoothly and I the transaction closed on time without waisted my time. Kiki also helped me to introduce the beautiful, well educated neighbor and when Kiki told them I am an American and buying the property to their next doors, the old couple were extremely happy and welcomed me to her neighborhood. Although I don’t speak Bulgarian language but Kiki helped me as a translator and we shared common interests for more than an hour. After finishing our discussion she walked out and brought for me a fresh fruits from her garden, a symbol of love being her new neighbor. As mentioned above, she represented us on the purchase side of the transaction. She is very smart and transactions can sometime become very complex. I have the highest level of confidence in her and feel she would be able to properly assess any situation and figure out an effective solution. In future transactions, I will only have Kiki as to represent me that I am again in the process of buying an other property , Bulgaria through her. Let me share her Watts Apps telephone number +359 89 842 2816 in Bulgaria. Please, send her the text and your contact number what you want and your budget, etc and she will call you back after reviewing your info and will have something for you based on the info on property you share with her first. Most of her clients are foreigners from UK, Europe, USA and Canada. If you have any questions, I would be happy to email or talk with prospective clients to provide feedback on my very positive experience. Feel free to contact me at hafeezabid06@gmail.com Mohammad Abid Hafeez February 20, 2022 Michigan, USA
— Mohammad, USA