By İrem Naz Duymuş (AMER/III) & Eda Emekoğlu (AMER/III)
nazduymus@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
eda.emekoglu@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Dearest readers, despite my amazing observations and thoughts on new fashion trends this spring, I have noticed that a bunch of people are still wearing their martenitsas! That defeats the point and specialty of them. Let me explain.
Martenitsa, for those who don’t know, is an adornment made of red and white yarn, in the shape of two dolls. White yarn is used for the male doll, Pizho, and red yarn is predominantly used for the female doll, Penda. The threads symbolize the wish for good health. They are the heralds of the upcoming spring and of new life. Although there is no definitive answer, the colors are thought to symbolize purity and life as well as duality, the balance of good and evil in human life. The martenitsa therefore is used to symbolize new life with whatever it holds, not as a permanent ornament but as a fleeting marker of transition.
For some, martenitsi is a product of the ancient pagan history of Balkan Peninsula, predominantly from Bulgaria and Macedonia, marking specific ritual points of paganism, especially with the tying of the twisted red and white threads. For others, it was derived as a celebratory result of The Battle of Ongal, when Khan Asparuh sent white threads via birds to announce victory. But, because they were soaked in blood during the fight, they marked the creation of red-and-white martenitsi.
According to Bulgarian folklore and Macedonian mythology, the character “Baba Marta” is a mythological grumpy old lady whose mood swings rapidly and is responsible for the weather in March. If she feels anger and exhaustion, she yields bad weather; if she is happy, she brings sunshine and warmth. Therefore, to appease her, people wear martenitsi and decorate their homes with it, hoping for good and calm weather. Beginning on the first of March, which is traditionally known as “Baba Marta Day,” one or more are worn or pinned to clothing until the person wearing it sees a stork or swallow returning from migration, or a blossoming tree. They then remove the martenitsa in the sense of understanding that spring and good weather are near, completing the cycle that gives the tradition its meaning.
The ritual of taking martenitsi off varies from region to region in Bulgaria and within North Macedonia. Some people tie the martenitsa on the branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck, which the person had had while wearing it. Others put it under a stone with the belief that the creature closest to the token will the next day determine the person’s health and luck for the rest of the year. If the creature is a larva or a worm, the rest of the year will be healthy and lucky and full of success. If it is an ant, the person will have to work hard to reach success. If the creature is a spider, the person might get into trouble and may not enjoy good health and luck. These rituals emphasize not only belief but also the importance of letting go at the right time.
So, dearest readers, if you find yourself still wearing one well past its time, do remember: you are not simply holding onto a charming accessory, but stretching a story that was meant to end with the first signs of spring. Baba Marta would surely raise an eyebrow at such stubborn devotion or maybe even yield more rainy weather.
