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.
To anyone thinking about buying a property in Bulgaria I hope that I can help with my very bad experience (with other agency)that cost me several thousand euro's with a property I hoped would be my dream home and after paying my deposit and appointed the company to sort out the notary deeds I thought great I have my home in Bulgaria, after waiting for a month with no communication with the company I contacted the company and was told not to worry should all be sorted in about a week to cut a story short this went on for almost four months and not once did they communicate with me it was always me contacting them by now I was starting to worry that all the stress that I was suffering was not worth it shortening my life (I am75) so I told them to cancel the contract I didn't want the house anymore because I was getting very bad feelings over everything and back came the reply (yes you guessed it) should all be sorted in a week I replied yes but there's 52 week's in a year and I can't wait to find out which one so I gave up on my dreams of living in Bulgaria but then after a couple of weeks I decided I would try just once more and decided to try Bulgarian House and I can't tell you the difference between the first company of similar name to Bulgarian House was chalk and cheese. I was of course still very sceptical about dealing with them but after my first email to them and and the reply I received I felt like this is so different then over a short period of time searching through all the properties that fitted with my criteria I received so much help and additional property details I replied back that I have a short list of just over a hundred to which came back a reply "Are You Trying To Kill Me" but okay we can sort it all out and then I replied I was joking I only have about twenty I would like to see and after several emails and some professional banter I was so at ease with the company and made my travel arrangements to visit and view Kiki then recommended a hotel for me and after agreeing Kiki then made all the reservations for me. When I arrived at the hotel it was late and ready for a good night's sleep and then true to her word she called and asked me if all was okay and that she had arranged for me to visit all the properties I had requested over a three or four day period some of them in the Elhovo area and was showed them by one of her colleges Elvera once again a great lady that was only pleased to help and showed me other properties I might like but over the time viewing all the properties I was showed around the different area's to help me make my decision more easy and after three fairly busy but extremely enjoyable days I had a day to myself for recapping all I had seen as Kiki had an appointment with another client but even then she found time to call me and asked if I had any questions to which I replied no you did a fantastic job explaining everything as we viewed but I had one property I wanted to view again, Kiki called me back within the hour and had arranged with the owner to view the next morning, I viewed the house and had a little haggle with the owner and agreed a sale then Kiki spent the rest of the day taking me to all the major shops etc that would be of interest then went for a coffee and she arranged for me to visit the bank the next day and open a bank account then a visit to the solicitors to grant her power of attorney to act on my behalf all done, that evening Kiki and her son David (great little five year old man) showed me around Kazanlak and as it was December we went to watch a fantastic musical extravaganza in the square, what a great way to end the day and my time in Bulgaria. The whole process from agreement of sale including payment and transfer of the notary deeds all done in under two weeks that the other company could not do in over three months, so please please listen to a man who has had bad and good experience in buying a Bulgarian property Don't waste time and money looking around go straight to the best and forget the rest. As we all know that the virus is stopping us traveling and you might not be able to view as I can't go back to my house and start working on it but I can put my hand on my heart and say Kiki and Elvera can both be trusted to give you a 100% true assessment for the property of your choice and can proceed with conference. I can't wait to get back to Bulgaria and have a big BBQ for all the people I have made lifetime friends with and without Kiki it would not have been possible. John and Xiaohui
— John Johnson, UK