March 25 is Annunciation day, one of the major Christian feast days. But what is its meaning and symbolism? And why is the Mother of God depicted as spinning when she receives the glad tidings?

The Annunciation is central to the Christian calendar. On this day Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to announce to Virgin Mary that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Savior. The day follows the coming of the astronomical spring, lending the conception of Jesus Christ a manifold meaning connected with the rebirth of Nature, with the idea of new life and a new beginning. According to folklore tradition, Annunciation is the time for spring cleaning, so as to get a fresh start in spring, this is the time to plant vegetables so that they may be sweet, to pierce little girls’ ears so that the sores may heal quickly. It is believed that on this day storks and swallows return and the cuckoo starts to call. That is why people must leave the house well-fed and with money in their pocket – because whatever state the first cuckoo call finds them in, such will be the whole year for them.

The miracle of the Immaculate Conception taking place on this day has always stirred the imagination. There are a number of folklore texts that go into how it was that the Mother of God conceived while keeping her virginity. Legends and songs tell a story of her smelling a flower and conceiving by its sweet fragrance. In some versions the flower is a Madonna lily known by its traditional name of zambak. That is why many icons depict Archangel Gabriel facing Mary, Madonna lily in hand. According to other stories the flower was none other than sweet basil – one of the best-loved and honoured plants in Bulgarian folklore. Basil is much loved because of its fragrance. It is considered to be the flower of Christ; according to folklore tradition it sprouted on Christ’s grave as a sign from the heavens. By a tradition on Annunciation day or Blagovets basil is planted so that it may give out a glad aroma and be more potent against evil forces or it is taken to church, where the priest sanctifies it. According to other tales, the Mother of God conceived by biting into an apple or swallowing a diamond and gave birth through her rib, thus keeping her virginity.

On many of the old works of religious art, the Virgin Mary is shown to be spinning at the time she received the glad tidings. It is interesting to note that she is depicted as spinning “by hand” without the help of a distaff or a spinning-wheel – the most ancient spinning method that is still practiced to this day. This picture is connected with an apocryphal story, according to which the Jerusalem priests decided to commission a curtain for the House of God to be made by noble and pure virgins. One of these virgins was Mary, who was given purple yarn – a symbol of the royal status of the Virgin and her future son. It was while she was spinning the purple yarn that the angel appeared to announce the miraculous event. Christian analysts say the purple curtain is the flesh of Christ, seen as a garment that the mother made for her Son: God “dons” it to take human form.

Experts say that being typical female activities, spinning and weaving have a special place in the mythology and folklore of many nations. When she spins, knits or weaves, the Mother Goddess creates the world: she draws out the thread of life, just as the umbilical cord connects the mother with the child. The three Moirae from Greek mythology are also depicted as spinners, as are the godmothers from Bulgarian tales who determine the fate of the newly-born. According to legend, Eve, the protomother of the whole human race, was also a spinner. This role was assigned her by God after the Fall and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Spinning the yarn itself plays a key role in some of the traditional Bulgarian rituals. For example, when she first enters her new home the young bride spins. The mummers’ grandmother or bride – one of the most popular characters in the winter masquerades when ritual weddings or childbirth is reenacted – also spin. Another important figure, connected with spring and fertility, Granny Marta brings the martenitsas, made of intertwined red and white thread. A rare fresco in the monastery near the village of Ossenovlak in the region of Sofia shows an unusual Annunciation scene, featuring a martenitsa. Over the head of the Mother of God, who is down on her knees to receive the glad tidings, there is a martenitsa, descending over the Virgin and touching her alongside a ray of light, sent down by the Holy Spirit. This is an example of folklore tradition interfering with Christian stories to illustrate the wonder of the Immaculate Conception.

Ass. Prof. Dr. Vihra Baeva, expert at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum

English version: Milena Daynova