Baba Marta/Grandma Marta/
Baba Matra is a traditional celebration on the first of March.People put on there clothes or on the hand"martenitsi" (made from threads-red and white) for health and happieness.According to one of the several proposed legends attempting to explain the Martenitsa, the custom has roots in the late seventh century. This legend says that the Bulgarian Han Asparuh wanted to send a message to other Bulgarians across the Danube. He tied his letter with a white string to the leg of a white pigeon. The Byzantines saw the pigeon flying and hurt it with an arrow. It was finally able to deliver the important message but the white string has turned into reddish because of the pigeon's blood.Now there are very different kind of martenitsas.At the end of March,when we see a stork,we take off the matrenitsas and put them on a flowering tree.
