Meet the Martenitsa 🤍♥️🤍♥️
A Martenitsa [ˈmartɛnit͡sa] is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and usually in the form of two dolls, a white male and a red female. Martenitsi are worn from Baba Marta Day (March 1) until the wearer first sees a stork, swallow, or blossoming tree (or until the end of March. It's a tradition related to welcoming the spring.
Tradition dictates that Martenitsi are always given as gifts, not bought for oneself. They are given to loved ones, friends, and those people to whom one feels close. Beginning on the 1st of March, one or more are worn pinned to clothing, or around the wrist or neck, until the wearer sees a stork or swallow returning from migration, or a blossoming tree, and then removes the Martenitsa.
This tradition is an important part of the Culture of Bulgaria and there is a similar tradition in North Macedonia, as well as in Greece, Albania (known as verorja), Romania and Moldova.
Modern Martenitsi take a wider variety of forms and often incorporate colored beads and other elaboration.
