One Man in Bulgaria

Emerging from my burrow on the first day of March 2017, it has been a long hard winter. Temperatures are still pretty low and a cold wind blows however there is a blue sky as the sun struggles to bring forth spring. It is Baba Marta day once again. I wrote in detail about this annual event in my blog last year. Once again stalls have been selling martenitsi in the lead up to this celebration and will continue to do so until the end of the week. You can see a friend of mine in the photo. with her mother many weeks have been spent making these. The best are made from local wool and beads. This year I receive seven, worn on my wrist, from my increasing circle of friends. 'Pizho and Penda' are hanging on my door. Text messages are exchanged with distant friends containing images of cards just as we would once have sent cards through the post in my youth. New decorations have been installed at the "Compass" on the way to the sea garden. To celebrate I have lunch at ...

Wherever I wondered during the previous week brightly coloured stalls could be found selling all manner of Martenitsi.  The one thing they have in common is a thread of red and white. Some have beads some are the more traditional 'Pizho and Penda' as seen here.  These tokens are given to loved ones, friends and family on Baba Marta day, the 1st of March. The tradition is celebrated throughout Bulgaria and according to some sources believed to be the oldest Pagan festival in Europe.  Baba Marta - Grandma March Day celebrates the end of winter and the coming of spring. She is supposed to be a very bad tempered old lady who's mood swings determine the weather, the sun comes out when she smiles. Some say she doing the spring clean, the feathers from the shaken duvet fall to earth as the last snow of winter. Others that the marteniti are to please her into shortening the winter. The tokens which are given and must never be bought for oneself are worn on the clothing or aroun...