“Guardians of tradition” is often a definition of the people in town and villages who invest their energy and talent in order to keep the spirit of our people alive. Self-taught and amateur artists are people who, united in non-professional creative groups, perform traditional Bulgarian songs, theatrical plays, recreate folklore traditions and traditional celebration of Bulgarian holidays.

Their activities thrive both in the big cities where the calendar is full of cultural events and in small villages, where only the stage of the local community center is a source of cultural activities. These amateurs are true local enlighteners. Many would ask if these people earned something by giving their labor and their free time for years in the name of a non-commercial cause. Being a part of an amateur art group is not a matter of profession, but of personal motivation and vocation. The truth is that these people preserve a great treasure containing wisdom, optimism and faith Bulgarian people have gathered. When collecting and recording ancient folk songs, restoring rituals and traditions, the community center artists reveal forgotten messages from our ancestors. They make us believe in the legends of old Bulgarians, showing how light drives away darkness.

Bulgarians wish each other health, long life, and happiness at the start of spring. The symbol of the pure joy that the spring sun gives us is the ‘martenitsa.’ White and red - these Bulgarian symbols remind us that life depends on personal commitment, perseverance and the love we give to others. It is no coincidence that March 1 has also become a holiday of amateur organizations. They always under celebrate it under the roof of her second home - the local community center.

In the "Sts. Cyril and Methodius 1927”Community Center in the village of Dolni Bogrov in Sofia preparations for March 1st start weeks before the date. It is one of the important dates in the cultural calendar. Women gather days prior to the holiday and make martenitsas for the children in the village, who also get to see the real Baba Marta.

0301 Lilyana Tasheva

“The real Baba Marta is dressed in a red and has a red cloth on her head. She has a white blouse and wears a woven apron. She holds a basket full of martenitsas in her hand. We love traditions and the celebrations on March 1,”says Liliana Tasheva, who is among the amateurs in the community center. “We are gathering in the center, where we make the martenitsas for everyone. Children in the kindergarten have their own celebration, but they are also expecting us. I remember two years ago, when I was dressed as Baba Martha, something funny happened. One of the girls whose home is near my house saw mea few days later. I was climbing on the roof of our house as it was going through a repair. The child recognized me and began telling the parents Baba Marta is on the roof. It is nice when I meet children in the street and they say: ‘Hello, Grandma Marta.’"

English: Alexander Markov