What is Martenichka?

WHEN MARCH 1 COMES, YOU MUST HEAR THE NAME MARTENICKA FROM THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. SO WHAT IS THIS MARTENICKA, WHEN TO WEAR IT, HOW TO PREPARE, WHAT DOES IT DO? MARTENICKA IS A JEWELRY MADE OF RED AND WHITE THREAD FROM THE BALKAN AND THRACE. THIS JEWELRY REPRESENTS THE COMING OF SPRING. NO OTHER DETAILS WERE USED WHEN MARTENICKAS MADE OF ONLY RED AND WHITE YARN ARE FIRST MADE. IT WAS ATTACHED TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS AND BELIEVED TO PROTECT FROM THE EVIL. TO PREVENT DISEASE, IN SOME REGIONS, GOLD AND SILVER MONEY WAS ATTACHED TO RED AND WHITE ROPE.

WHEN TO WEAR MARTENICKA?

MARTENICKA IS AN ORNAMENT MADE OF WHITE AND RED THREADS WHICH WAS WEAR DURING MARCH. THE DAYS OF BABAMARTA STARTS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING. FATHER MARTA IS A TRADITION FROM BULGARIA. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF MARTIN, BULGARIANS PREPARE MARTENICKA TO THEIR FRIENDS AND LOVE THEM AND GIVE A GIFT WITH GOOD WISHES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THESE MARTENICKAS ARE WATCHED UNTIL THE STORK SEE. HOWEVER, IT IS A TRADITION FROM THE BALKAN REGION, IT IS WIDELY USED IN OUR COUNTRY DUE TO THE BALKAN IMMIGRANTS TODAY.

HOW TO MAKE MARTENICKA?

MARTENICKAS ARE HAND MADE, NOT PURCHASED, JUST A GIFT. ONE PIECE OF WHITE AND ONE PIECE OF RED YARN IS ENOUGH TO PREPARE MARTENICKA. IT IS VERY EASY TO PREPARE THE MARTENICKA, IT IS ENOUGH TO TWIST THE THREADS AT THE END AND TURN IT IN A WIRE.

THE PERSON TO THE GIFT OF THE MARTENICKA MAKES A WISH AND ATTACHES THE MARTENICKA TO THE Wrist. WHEN THE STORK SEES IT, IT TAKES IT FROM YOUR Wrist TO A BRANCH FROM THE NEAREST FLOWERING IN SPRING AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT A WISH WILL GET.

THIS TRADITION IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTABLE AND COMMON BULGARIAN TRADITIONS THAT EVER EVER. MARTENICKA ATTACHES TO HOUSES, FRUIT TREES AND ANIMALS ALSO. THUS, SPRING MAY BRING Abundance and Fertility and be fertile.

MARTENICKALAR HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME, AS PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS OF BEAUTY CHANGED, AND HAVE BEEN Adorned with SMALL DETAILS. MARTENICKAS MADE OF ONLY RED WHITE THREAD AT FIRST TIMES, BEADS were added over time and tassels were made. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF MARTENICKAS THAT HAVE IMPORTANT PLACES IN HISTORY. THESE ARE PUPPETS MADE OF RED AND WHITE YARN CALLED PIJO AND PEDA.

THE COLOR RED THAT BRINGS MARTENICKS TO LIFE IS HEALTH AND THE COLOR WHITE REPRESENTS LONG LIFESPAN. TO ADAPT TO THIS BEAUTIFUL TRADITION, YOU CAN PREPARE YOUR OWN MARTENICKA AND GIFT IT TO YOUR LOVED ONES.