My new favorite holiday is March First: Честита баба марта!!

[caption id="attachment_723" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Martenitsa Stands in Slaveykov Square"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-723" title="M for Sale " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dsc05678.jpg?w=300" alt="Martenitsa Stands in Slaveykov Square" width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

The day was just beautiful on Sunday, March 1st.  We had snow the week before and on March First the sun was out and shinning.  It was warm enough for the first time in two weeks to wear just a rain coat.  What a wonderful start to the month of March.  (Today for the record, there's been no hint of the sun.)  <!--more--><span>_</span>

[caption id="attachment_724" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Friends give you Martenitsas.  Then you wear them. These are mine. "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-724" title="Me and Martenitsas" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dsc05699.jpg?w=225" alt="Friends give you Martenitsas.  Then you wear them. These are mine. " width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

The martenitsas come in lots of shapes and sizes.  Yesterday I received two that looked like little girls.  One in "traditional" Bulgarian dress.  You can see the apron on her if you look closely.  I also received one that was little red riding hood (look for her close up below).  I am also wearing a necklace martenitsa with a heart on it and not in the picture are a number of bracelets I received.

[caption id="attachment_727" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="One of the cutest martenitsas I received.  She&#39;s holding a basket of flowers!! "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-727" title="Little Red" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dsc05705.jpg?w=225" alt="One of the cutest martenitsas I received.  She's holding a basket of flowers!! " width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

Traditionally you give martenitsas made of either red and white tassels or two figures a boy and girl called "Пижо и Пенда" (Pizho and Penda).  I have no idea how they got these names.  The tassels and the boy and girl come in a range of different sizes.  Most of the ones I saw were attached to cardboard cards which said Честита баба марта and sometimes had flowers, birds or tree branches also printed on the cards.  The martenitsa is stapled to the card and the whole thing is protected in plastic.

[caption id="attachment_725" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The little boy &amp; girl figures are so cute. "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-725" title="Boy and girl Martenitsa " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dsc05728.jpg?w=225" alt="The little boy &amp; girl figures are so cute. " width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

See how cute the martenitsas are!? I loved these little things.  I love them so much that I bought many, many more than I probably should have.  So much so that I couldn't help but wonder after spending over $20 on martenitsas if I was becoming Bulgarian.  In the beginning, my affinity for the martenitsa was fairly secret. Then I told my friends how many I bought and they laughed at me.  Then, they got sucked in themselves.  The thing was, as I bought the martenitsas, I kept thinking: oh, I don't want to give this one away.  That's why I ended up with so many.

But when other people started giving me martenitsas things got really exciting.  I liked it a lot.  I can't really describe how cute and wonderful the various different martenitsas are.   Maybe I can go into the martenitsa import business in the States.   It seems like it would go perfectly with the banitsa shop and rakia distillery I am also thinking about opening...

[caption id="attachment_728" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="So cute.  So cute. "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-728" title="Bulgarian Girl Martenitsa " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dsc05702.jpg?w=225" alt="So cute.  So cute. " width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

In conclusion: Ach, I love this holiday.  I can't get enough of it.  Also, the shirt I am wearing is new.  I like it a lot too.   I just might like martenitsas more than I like my new shirt which was for the record a steal and I always love things that are cute and a good deal. I hope this puts this holiday in perspective for you and maybe now you can understand how much I like this holiday.  So again: Happy March First and  Честита баба марта!!