Balgarianovinite.com On March 1, Bulgarians celebrate a traditional festival marking the onset of spring. They exchange special red-and-white charms, called martenitsa, wishing each other health and prosperity throughout the year. Called Baba Marta, or Granny Marta, as an embodiment of spring and commonly depicted as a sweet old lady, this spring tradition has survived centuries.
Originally, the martenitsa consisted simply of a red-and-white wool or silk thread, twisted leftward, with a gold or silver coin occasionally tied to it for an abundant harvest, or a blue bead to ward off evil spells. The white is a symbol of strength, longevity, the male spirit and sunshine, while the red symbolizes the female spirit and is associated with health, blood, conception, birth and fertility.
The martenitsa is especially made for the occasion and is worn on one’s clothing, wrist or neck, or round the left wrist, or is tied round the horns of cattle or round the branches of fruit trees. The wearer keeps it until a swallow or a stork returning from migration is first seen, after which it is hung on a branch in blossom or hidden under a rock to welcome spring and to represent the hope that the evil spirits will go to sleep.
The popular spring amulet was reckoned to protect the wearers from diseases, the evil eye and bad luck, and to ensure the fertility of livestock, a plentiful harvest, and farmers’ good health and prosperity.
The tradition of the martenitsa is believed to be unique to Bulgaria even though similar traditions also exists in Romania, Northern Greece and countries where Bulgarians have migrated through the centuries. Martenitsa: Bulgarians Celebrate Spring with Centuries-Old Tradition 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-03-01 07:17:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law