A special holiday inBulgaria

 

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Bogdanova

The name of the holiday is Baba Marta. "Baba" (баба) is the Bulgarian word for "grandmother" and Mart (март) - for the month of March. In Bulgarian folklore the name

Baba Marta is related to a grumpy, old lady whose mood swings change very rapidly.

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Lubenova

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Em

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Bogdanova

Denit

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Lubenova

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Em

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Bogdanova

 

On the first day of March and few days after wards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red tassels or small dolls called Pizho and Penda or "MARTENITSA". (Bulgarian: мартеница,

pronounced [martɛnit;sa]; plural мартеници martenitsi)

The month of March, according to Bulgarian folklore, marks the

beginning of springtime. Therefore, the first day of March is a traditional holiday associated with sending off

winter and welcoming spring.

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Many people wear more than one martenitsa. They receive them as presents from relatives, close friends and

colleagues. This is an old pagan tradition and remains almost unchanged

today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope

that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.

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Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing

the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence

that Baba Marta is in a good mood and is about to retire. 

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Bogdanova

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Bogdanova

The ritual of finally taking off the martenitsa may be different in the different parts of Bulgaria. Some people would tie their martenitsa on a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree

health and luck, which the person wearing the martenitsa has enjoyed himself while wearing it.

 

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BogdanovaOthers would put the martenitsa

under a stone with the idea that the kind of the creature (usually an insect) closest to the token the next day will determine the person's health for the rest of the year.

If the creature is a larva or a worm, the coming year will be healthy, and full of success. The same luck is associated with an ant, the difference being that the person will have to work hard to reach success.

If the creature near the token is a spider, then the person is in trouble and may not enjoy luck, health, or personal success.

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Bogdanova

While white as a color symbolizes purity, red is a symbol of life and passion, thus some ethnologists have proposed that in its very origins the custom might have reminded people of the constant cycle of life and death, the balance of good and evil, and of the sorrow and happiness in human life. The martenitsa is also a stylized symbol of Mother Nature. The white symbolizes the purity of the melting white snow and the red symbolizes the setting of the sun which becomes more and more intense as spring progresses. These two natural resources are the source of life.

They are also associated with the male and female beginnings. 

QUESTIONS

Which is the Special day in Bulgaria?

a.The 2nd of Marchb.The 1st of Matchc.The 4th of March

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Bogdanova

What do the children do on that day?a.They play with their friendsb.They give martenitsi to friends and

relativesc.They help their parents

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HOMEWORK• Make a Martenitsa for your friend• Write a wish and then give to his/her.http://nik-bg.com/ideas.phphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXmKpI2FLdwhttp://vbox7.com/play:d737d03b?p=user&id=2065033&order=datehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaQ3IhMfwXw&feature=sharehttp://krokotak.com/barzo-tarsene/praznitsi/baba-

marta/http://krokotak.com/category/praznitsi/baba-marta-barzala/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvNSJzAGRHwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOVZSME3Nvohttp://btvnews.bg/tazi-sutrin/reportazhi/znaete-vsichko-za-martenitsite.html

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Happy Grandma March

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Bogdanova

Честита Баба Марта

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made

of the information contained therein.

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