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Celebrating Spring

Yes Alumni Pose With The Martenitsi

By Zhanet Velkova (YES 2018-2019, Bulgaria, placed by ACES in Oregon, OH) 

Baba Marta is a Bulgarian mythical figure believed to bring the end of the freezing winter and the beginning of the warmer spring. Her holiday, called Baba Marta, translates to Grandma March in English. The holiday is celebrated on the first day of March in Bulgaria by giving friends and family red-and-white interwoven strings which bring health and happiness during the year to the people who receive them. 

Baba March is an old lady who dislikes her two older brothers, January and February. In Bulgarian folklore, there are a few different versions of the Baba Marta tale. One says that on March 1, she does her annual spring cleaning and shakes her mattress for the last time in the winter. All the feathers that fall out of it become the last snow of the year.

In honor of this holiday, I - as the Alumni Coordinator of Bulgaria - decided to create a Martenitsi Workshop on March 18 with the help of ten fellow alumni. Together, we crafted over 100 martenitsi, which we gifted to the kids in an orphanage in Roman, Bulgaria.

Yes Alumni Make Martenitsi

Ever since I can remember, my favorite holiday has been Baba Marta. Every year, I get very excited for the first day of March because I love giving out martenitsi to my friends, family, and loved ones. I show my appreciation for them in this way. It is a significant holiday here in Bulgaria, and you can almost feel everyone’s spirits lift on this day. 

I believe it is important to keep this tradition alive because it is a part of our Bulgarian identity. During my exchange year, I remember how much my American friends loved the martenitsi I gave them as they were able to learn more about my culture.


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