A Martenitsa is made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1 until the end of March, or until the first time you see a stork. The name of this holiday is Baba Marta. Baba means grandmother in Bulgarian and Mart is the month of March. It is a Bulgarian tradition for welcoming the spring.
The red and white Martenitsi symbolize many things: good health, happiness and life.
On the first day of March and the next days the Bulgarians and also the foreigners living there, exchange and wear white and red tassels, small dolls and flowers.
Many people wear a lot of Martenitsi: you receive them as presents from relatives, friends and colleagues. There are different rituals when to take the Martenitsa off: for example when you see the first stork or a tree with blossoms. If you don’t see any of these at all by the end of March, you can tie the little Martenitsa to a tree, so a stork can pick it up!
It is a very popular Bulgarian tradition. At the end of February there are dozens of stalls in the street selling the newest types of Martenitsi and everybody is buying a bag full of them to give away
