Grandma Marta's Day, or time to go a little pagan in Bulgaria

[tilia_tomentosa]

So, there is this old custom in Bulgaria - it's exact origin is unknown, but it is undeniably pagan. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is OK with it, but it hasn't quite Christianized it, as it has done with many other folk customs. Moreover, even the ethnic Turks among my fellow students, who are Muslims, are happy to exchange martenitsi with us on

Comments

[paterson_si]

*looking for something red and white*

[tilia_tomentosa]

I was thinking of making a martenitsa for you, but then I bruised my hand and didn't manage it. I know how to make little dolls from yarn, it's fun. :)

[paterson_si]

I know how to make tufts. :)

[estudioso]

i was thinking of making some yarn handcuffs instead....woof!

[bgoberon]

Happy Grandma Marta Day!!

[tilia_tomentosa]

Same to you, B.! :)

[uneasytruce]

I love this entry. As soon as I started reading about Marta, I had to turn on the music: Deep Forest's "Marta's Song" (from their Boheme CD). Have you heard it?*

I'm glad you spent some time researching your Baba, what her name means, and what the Bulgarian customs are surrounding the martenitsa. To me, these are beautiful and fascinating. For you, they still flow through your bloodstream!

*I've often wondered if this song actually contains real Bulgarian words. Some of the other songs seem to me definitely Macedonian, or Czech, or Bulgarian. There is a song on the same album called Bulgarian Melody, and I believe this band really does care about being authentic.

[paterson_si]

Boheme is one of my all time favourite CD's. :)

[uneasytruce]

Isn't it wonderful?

After I wrote my comment to Dari, I kept listening: Each song more beautiful, more deep and dark, than the last. I love Deep Forest, and Boheme might be the best thing they've ever done.

[paterson_si]

Boheme is definitely their best record, and Deep Folk Song/Freedom Cry still gets to me... after all these years. Special memories are connected to those two songs.

[inbhirnis]

Very interesting piece of folklore - thanks for sharing.

And - it's a fabulous fashion accessory! :-)

[estudioso]

Man, we NEED project runway ASAP...

[inbhirnis]

I get by by watching "Project Runway: Canada" on YouTube.

And "RuPaul's Drag Race"... :-)

[estudioso]

ongina has to be the sickest name around...now, lipsynch for your life!

[exiledfromtribe]

Happy Grandma Marta Day!! Um, it was sunny and spring-like here but it's clouding over again.

Thanks for sharing; that's pretty trippy. Your "time to go a little pagan in Bulgaria" made me smile. It's interesting how we still don't know where folks came from; the Irish are a mystery too. Heh, not to mention the North Americans; I think it was in the last decade that we discovered that there were people here 10,000 years before we thought that there were. =P

I'll have to look around for red and white. I don't have a lot of red...*googles*...Aw, no Bulgarian Spring festivals in Seattle. =(

[tilia_tomentosa]

Thank you! We had a sunny day here... but it's an evening now.

We Bulgarians are a complicated genetic mix. I don't know how much of the local Neolithic population survived (I've heard that there was some quite serious flood, and no Noah), but it was wave after wave after wave of invaders afterwards. There were the Thracians here, then the Roman empire conquered them... then it was Byzantium. The two other major components - the Slavs and the original Bulgarians (some historians call them proto-Bulgarians), came later and took the territory away from Byzantium. Wars, mass migrations, crusades, the Ottoman Empire... we are of such mixed origin that all talk of ethnic purity is ridiculous.

So I'm spreading the custom worldwide? :)

[exiledfromtribe]

So I'm spreading the custom worldwide? :)

Well, there's really nothing else going on. Although it's the Bosnian's Independence day though and, in Iceland, it's...BEER DAY!

The other notable "celebration" is "Self Injury Awareness Day" and that doesn't sound too fun. =|

(I put "March 1st" into Wikipedia.)

[tilia_tomentosa]

"Self Injury Awareness Day" really doesn't sound much fun. :)