It is also customary not to do any washing or put out white clothes on this day for fear of old Baba Marta bringing on a frost or hailstorms. Baba Marta likes to meet young girls and women and when she does so she will make the weather warm and nice. As Baba Marta has specific requirements of the people she meets on this first day of March, old women will not go out early because they don’t want to make her angry and cause a change of weather. In rural Bulgaria certain traditions surrounding Baba Marta’s arrival are still observed to this day. Eventually the stone transformed into a spring.

Other versions of this story, tell of a woman who took her goats into the mountains before the first of March, in other words before the date she was supposed to, and for this foolishness was punished by Baba Marta, who turned her into a stone. While tending to her flock she was surprised by an unexpected change of weather and the sudden bitterly cold winter spell resulted in her freezing to death and becoming a stone from which later water would begin to flow. According to one, the month took its name from a real woman whose name was Baba Marta, and who, lured by an early sunny spring day, took her goats to graze in the mountains. The origins of Baba Marta are shrouded in many legends. There are several different stories relating to Baba Marta, but all have one thing in common: she is a very irritable and unpredictable old lady, extremely moody, known to cast bad spells on people who displease her and will only visit clean houses, which means that March is also the month for what is traditionally known as Spring cleaning! If she’s displeased with what she finds she’ll make it known by sending you bad wintery weather spells, but if she’s happy you’ll find her smile reflected in the warming sun! In accordance with ancient tradition, on 1 March Bulgaria celebrates the arrival of Spring, personified by the mythical, rather grumpy and limping grandmotherly figure of Baba Marta (Grandma March) whose job it is to brush out winter and let in Spring. However, more than anywhere else, this day of celebration takes on a very special meaning in Bulgaria, our northern neighbour, and as those among you who have followed me for some time know, we have a very special affinity for the country, its customs and our friends there. Wherever these March charrm and amulets found their origins, they are the symbol of the wakening of the earth and new life. On this day, bonfires are lit and the bracelets are removed and thrown into the fires.

Martis are worn until the midnight mass of the Greek Orthodox Easter. The bracelet is symbolic of rosy cheeks and a white complexion. It is said that if they wear the Martis the sun of early spring will not burn their faces. They are called Martis and they are given to children on this day. In Greece bracelets are braided from red and white string. A traditional charm handed out in Romania and Moldova on this first day of March is called the Martisor. Many countries uphold these Spring rituals. Today, 1 March, is a day during which several countries in our region celebrate the upcoming arrival of Spring, regardless of the fact that the official day in accordance with the Spring equinox is supposed to be 21 March.

Baba marta celebrate in bg image