It was a fever pitch of martenitsi at school yesterday.  I thought it was great fun to watch and to be a part of the exchange and social negotiation of these red and white trinkets.

There were martenitsi everywhere. Arms, sweatshirts, coats.  The students had bags of them. It's really wonderful. And also really funny.

[caption id="attachment_2255" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Me in martenitsi.  Thanks to my students and colleauges. Sorry about the poor light/photo quality. "]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/dsc01564.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2255" title="Me and Martenitsi! " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/dsc01564.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

I have a few hysterical moments and memories from today. They follow: <!--more-->

One student says to me: Are you sure you can afford to give us martenitsi? What about your 400 leva budget?

Happy Grandmother March. (Yeah, it really doesn't sound that great in English.)

Another student hands out martenitsi to classmates by throwing them at his peers and saying: here you are. I am not sure this is in the spirit of the holiday.  Also it's really hard to tie your own martenitsa on your arm.

Students complement me on my martenitsi. I say thank-you because I am wearing them. Not because I picked them out.

One young man, takes the time to tie a martenitsa on the arm of everyone in class.  He arrives in my classroom about 7 minutes before class and it takes him a good 10 minutes. He was committed to his task.

A female student tells me: Thank-you for the martenitsa. You're the first American to ever give me one.

At home today, I look at all of the martenitsi on my arm and pinned to my blouse and think: what a lovely holiday. Life, luck, health and Spring. It doesn't get much better than that.  I am thankful for my students sharing this holiday with me.

But, I am afraid that I wont be able to wear an armful of martenitsi for an entire month.  I think I am going to have to pare back.  I do wonder if this means I am going to be pairing back on my luck and health as well?