1st of March is just a regular day for most of the people around the world. But for us Bulgarians it is a bit more special – we celebrate a traditional holiday called Baba Marta (or Grandma Marta in English) and it is related to welcoming the approaching spring.
On that day, Bulgarians exchange the so called “Martenitsi” and tell each other, “Chestita Baba Marta!” (Happy Grandma Marta!). This custom is essentially to wish great health, good luck, and happiness to family and friends.The Martenitsa is made of twined red and white threads – woollen, silk, or cotton. The white is a symbol of strength, purity and happiness. The red is associated with health, blood, conception, and fertility.
Usually spring is symbollized by a young and beautiful woman, but in Bulgarian folklore it is portrayed by Baba Marta, a grumpy old lady who changes her mood very rapidly and it reflects in the changeable March weather. When she is smiling the weather is sunny and warm, but if she gets angry the cold will stay for longer and it may even snow. By wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa our predecessors asked Baba Marta for mercy. They hoped that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.
So why am I telling you all of this? As I did not want to feel like a complete alien on 1st of March here in Lisbon, I’ve decided to organize a cultural aperitivo in Mais Cidadania Association in order to be able to celebrate the unique tradition of my country in some kind of way!
It was a pleasure to share a piece of my culture with the rest of the team and the volunteers! And it happened to be the first really warm and nice day of March to match the special occassion!
Bulgaria is a beautiful country with lovely traditions, breathtaking nature, delicious food and wine, and lots and lots of history! I prepared a video and small presentation with some interesting info including the fact that Bulgaria produces more than 70% of the rose oil in the world; it is the third country in the world with most valuable archeological sites (after Italy and Greece); and it is the birth place of the cyrillic alphabet. If you want to learn a bit more click here.
Due to the fact that there is a Bulgarian shop in Lisbon, I actually managed to buy authentic products and herbs and prepare some of our delicious Balkan cuisine: banitsa (All-time favourite fillo pastry with white cheese), small bites of lyutenitsa (traditional sauce made with tomatoes and pepers) with cheese, and Bulgarian-style moussaka (casserole-style dish with potatoes and meat). And Bulgarian aperitivo would not be complete without talking about our roses and actually tasting them! Yes, you read right – we make jam from the petals of the roses and it is actually strangely delicious!
Of course, I had to also prepare martenitsi for everyone! When someone gives you a Martenitsa you should wear it either pinned on your clothes or tied around the wrist until you see a stork, or a blooming tree and after that you can tie it on a blossoming tree . As I had a flight to Madeira the next day, my spring came very soon and I left my Bulgarian mark on the island! 🙂
Voluntários do Bairro 