Children, parents, teachers from the Bulgarian schools around the world went to work at the martenitsa workshops wherever they may live to twist red and white thread together and make a martenitsa, the token of health, luck and… the coming spring. Every year, on 1 March, Bulgarians, wherever they may be, observe an old tradition – they tie a red-and-white thread to the wrist, or attach a more elaborate red-and-white symbol to the lapel of near and dear ones, as a symbol of a new beginning.

• Red thread for strength and health, white thread - for long life

In high spirits, and with lots of imagination, the children from the Bulgarian school in Milan, Italy recreated the traditional March characters Pizho and Penda and lots of other amulets for health. Once again we twisted red and white threads into one – the thread of love. Once again we put on martenitsas for health and for luck, Gergana Hristova who established the first Bulgarian school in Milan wrote on Facebook. 

On 26 February a martenitsa workshop was organized in the Italian city as part of the “Balkan spring in white and red” festival. It has become a tradition for the community of Bulgarians, Romanians and Moldovans in the Italian city to celebrate the coming of spring together on 1 March, and to gift one another martenitsas.

• Baba Marta speaking Bulgarian in Milan... and not just that!

The youngest children from the Bulgarian school Vasil Levski in Las Vegas, the US were also able to make some martenitas, together with their parents.

• World famous Granny Marta

The Bulgarian children from Madrid recreated Baba (Granny) Marta in red and white. In this endeavor the children from the Bulgarian weekend school Elin Pelin were helped by the students from the Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo, future schoolteachers, who had arrived specifically to assist them in the study of the Bulgarian language and history.

For the second year running the children from the Bulgarian school in Krakow, Poland made martenitsas with their own hands. “Our children, but also our future pupils all came, as did a Polish family and we all made martenitsas together. Happy Granny Marta!” the school wrote on Facebook.

And here are the beautiful martenitsas made by the children from the Bulgarian weekend school Vasil Levski Benidorm, Albir, L'Alfàs del Pi Spain.

“The beauty of our small Bulgaria is now here, with us in New York. My dream of a table covered with martenitsas has come true. I believe that together, we can keep this tradition alive and pass it down to our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. I wish you all lots of health, love and happiness,” a Bulgarian lady from New York wrote, having put her heart and soul into the making of martenitsas. Her name is Vanya and she has already made many Bulgarians overseas happy with her “martenitsas on wheels”.

“Happy Granny Marta” are words we hear every 1 March in Bulgaria. “Be like a martenitsa – white and red, healthy and happy throughout the year,” says Diana Glasnova from Croatia. “It is a Bulgarian tradition that breathes hope and love. Martenitsas are a symbol of robust health, strength and a long and happy life. The white colour symbolizes purity, innocence, happiness and beauty and the red colour – vigour, health, love and victory.”

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova