HAPPY BABA MARTA - HOW Bulgaria CELABRATE THAT DAY
MARTENITSA The Bulgarian wish for good Health, Strength and HappinessThe Martenitsa, given as an amulet in the period of spring, when nature gets “reborn” and starts blossoming again it was not only a reminder of that balance but also a wish for health, strength and happiness. The Martenitsa, or Pijo and Penda, is a Bulgarian tradition celebrating the arrival of spring. The martenitsa takes the form of a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1st until the 22nd March (or until the first time an individual sees a stork or a swallow). Mart (март) is the Bulgarian word for the month of March. The name of the holiday is Baba Marta, a Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the upcoming spring. The month of March, according to Bulgarian folklore, marks the beginning of springtime. Therefore, the first day of March, Granny Martha's Day, is a traditional holiday associated with sending off of winter and the welcoming of spring. Romanians also have a similar but not identical holiday on March 1, called "Martisor".
The red and white woven threads are not just meaningless decoration, but symbolize the wish for good health. They are the heralds of the coming of spring in Bulgaria and life in general. While white as a colour symbolizes purity and soul, red is a symbol of life and passion, thus some ethnologists have proposed that in its very origins the custom might have reminded people of the constant cycle of life and death, the balance of good and bad, of sorrow and happiness in human life.
On the first day of March and few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red tassels or small dolls called "Пижо и Пенда" (Pizho and Penda). In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta (in Bulgarian баба Марта meaning Grandma March) is related to a grumpy old lady whose mood swings change very rapidly.
This is an old pagan tradition and it remains almost unchanged today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. Many people wear more than one martenitsa. They receive them as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues. The Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good mood and is about to retire.
The ritual of finally taking off the martenitsa may be different in the different parts of Bulgaria. Some people would tie their martenitsa on a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck, which the person wearing the martenitsa has enjoyed himself while wearing it. Others would put the martenitsa under a stone with the idea that the kind of the creature (usually an insect) closest to the token the next day will determine the person's health for the rest of the year. If the creature is a larva or a worm, the coming year will be healthy, and full of success. The same luck is associated with an ant, the difference being that the person will have to work hard to reach success. If the creature near the token is a spider, then the person is in trouble and may not enjoy luck, health, or personal success.
Being an American, I want to write a review that is specific for US buyers, it’s going to be as long as the review from the gentleman from the UK. :) The process for purchasing property in Bulgaria requires the assistance of lawyers. Because we are not in the E.U. there will be additional steps to take that require a visit to the Embassy in the US or if that is not possible, some extra steps to officiate paperwork in Bulgaria. For these reasons you must work with someone very professional, knowledgeable, and of course, trustworthy. I can tell you that Kiki is all of those things and right to the point: she is an expert. For Kiki, she makes the process as easy as breathing. She’s extremely knowledgeable about purchasing property under any circumstance, for any nationality, and even during a global health scare. Nothing whatsoever was any hurdle or issue. Because of the different issues US citizens face, I will be quite lengthy in this review, to review Kiki’s expertise and professionalism, and review the process of investing in Bulgarian property using bulgarianhouse.com.??I chose to purchase property online, totally remotely due to the health crisis. I am located in NY and it was not possible to travel during the restrictions. I have lived in Europe before, I am familiar with the lifestyle, the land, and country villages, so I personally had no hesitation about wanting to invest in a Bulgarian country home, having never been there. For those considering buying remotely I will say that the village is as important as the house. You can use Google earth, research the village names, and watch videos and video travel vlogs about all of them on Youtube. Kiki has dozens-hundreds of listings, she works very fast and you will have many excellent options. From start to finish it was only a few steps of getting documents officiated at the Embassy. I made a mistake and didn’t get the right stamp at the NY Bulgarian Embassy, and within one hour of us realizing it, Kiki had emailed the Embassy, and texted me the agent’s personal phone number -so that I could get a new appointment, first thing the next morning. Which I did.Can you even imagine anything like that in America? This is how Kiki works. Everything is taken care of by Kiki, the expert. This extended everywhere I went. Bulgarian people working at the Embassy: they will treat you like royalty. At every step of the way, I became more sure and more excited about every aspect of this process, and my investment.? There are (minor) extra legal steps taken in Bulgaria to complete the process and all of it must be done in Bulgarian and with the help of a lawyer. Here Kiki being an expert and having everything worked out professionally, means this will also go quickly and easily. I feel like I snapped my fingers and it was over because of Kiki making everything so easy for me. I now own my dream country home that my family and I will love to fix up and enjoy. Kiki went an extra step to send updated photographs to me, and I was so pleased to see there were extra rooms in the house that I had not seen in the listing, and lovely buildings on the edge of the property which I am thrilled about. From this process I feel like I got more than I paid for because of the extra service that Kiki offers her clients. It would be unthinkable for me to buy from anyone else and we are already looking at other properties for the extended family.??A note about buying remotely: times have changed. Because of the health scare, many businesses went exclusively online. I work in renovation, design and construction, so I feel ok sizing up properties from images, knowing I have the experience to handle it. For those that don’t, I think you can rely on Kiki to make excellent recommendations for what you need, and she will be honest about every condition of every home, and she’s very good at this type of help as well. For me, because of what it would cost for airlines and hotels to visit first before purchase, I decided I would rather put that money in the purchase of the property itself, and I’m so glad I did. For other Americans considering investing in homes and property in Bulgaria, I can’t say enough positive things about my experience and how happy this has been for me, and I would not even consider working with another agent than Kiki and bulgarianhouse.com. To any American reading this with any hesitation about the ease of this process, don’t have any stress or concerns whatsoever. I was told exactly what would happen, and then it did exactly as explained. Incredibly, even with me not speaking Bulgarian and a major time difference, it literally could not have gone any better, there was no stress whatsoever, and it has made me and my family very happy.
— Kim Holleman, United States