Martenitsi made in China? That's just wrong...
It really wasn't like this before. Each year there are more and more martenitsa stands. There's so much red it's hurting my eyes sometimes and I these days I think there are about ten martenitsi per capita. But I still like the holiday. It's good, it's old and it's as Bulgarian as it can be.
Basically the red stands for blood and life and the white is for happiness. Also some stories say that Baba Marta likes the colour red and if she's happy, it'll be a good month. And there's a new thing a heard this year - you are supposed to make a wish when someone's tying a martenitsa on your wrist. That, I think, is bollocks :P Most legends put the start of the tradition around 681 AD, when the current Bulgaria was founded. Though I've been told that written evidence from Arab scholars shows that Bulgarian khans have been tying red and white strings on their troops for health and strength.
But I can tell you the legend I've been told as a kid and which is by far my favorite. I don't know how much you know about but Bulgarian history, so here's a brief introduction. Around 630 AD there was an Old Great Bulgaria bordering on the north-east Black Sea. It was invaded by the Khazars some thirty years later and Asparouch, one of the sons of the khan, called Kubrat, led some of our people across the Danube and founded this Bulgaria.
So the legend goes like this: Kubrat had five sons and a daughter. On his deathbed he gave his sons a final lesson - he gave them five spears bound together (or a stack of twigs in some stories) and told them to break the stack. None could. Then he untied it and showed them that separately each spear or twig is easily broken. And the brothers too must stay together to be strong. After his death, the Khazars invaded their leader demanded that the brothers recognize his authority and bow down before him and in exchange they could keep their lands and people. He had also imprisoned their sister, Huba, and the brothers were afraid he might kill her if they fight him. One of the sons, Bayan, stayed there to be with his sister and accepted the Khazars' authority. The others left - the one called Kotrag headed north and Asparouch, Kuber and Altsek headed west. They told Huba that however finds free land for their tribes, would send a hawk with a golden string tied to its leg.
So the four brothers left and the Khazars pursued them. Soon Asparouch reached the Danube river and while Kuber and Altsek continued west to find a crossing, he stayed and searched for one near the delta. A silver stag appeared and hopped through the river, showing Asparouch where his people might cross. So the women and children crossed, while the warriors stayed to fight and chase away their pursuers.
Asparouch, having found a free land for his people, sent a hawk with a golden string to Huba and Bayan. No one else had sent one and the two escaped and headed to the Danube. The Khazar leader sent his fastest riders to get them back. They caught up to them when Huba and Bayan had reached the river. Huba sent the hawk to find Asparouch and to find a way across the river. They tied a long white string to the its leg. But then a Khazar arrow hit Bayan and as he fell and the ball of string unraveled, his blood painted some of it red.
Right then Asparouch appeared on the opposite shore and because the Khazars were afraid of him, they retreated. Asparouch wiped his sisters tears and spoke to his people: "Brothers. My father, Kubrat, left us but one order - to stay united. We did not follow it and now we pay for that with blood. With our brother's blood." He then walked took the blooded string and pinned a piece of it on everyone. After that he called to Tangra (the deity that Bulgars believed in): "Oh, Tangra, creator of all things! Sky, that dominates all! Make it so that when need arises, these pieces come together again in one whole thing with no beginning and no end!"
So now we wear the white and red pieces of string, so that the big string that connects us all never breaks.


Well, that's it. I hope you liked the story. :)