Bulgarian traditions of 1 March
Ethnographers and researchers presume that the martenitsa is brought in by proto-Bulgarians at the end of VII century. Even then our forefathers used to attach to their battle standard of spear and horse's tail a twisted and blood-colored wool. The tradition of wearing such an amulet was present for over 13 centuries. Of course, until our days the "martenka" has changed quite a bit. Today there's a great diversity of models and variations. In every region where Bulgarian communities live martenitsas are made. They've got a specific outlook in separate regions. The authentic amulet is made of natural materials. Typical is the using of both white and red woolen yarn, but there are also villages where they substitute the white with blue yarn - against evil forces. The red thread is always present however (giving health, fertility and fruitfulness). A single-colored martenitsa of red wool is made in some villages in Northern Bulgaria. The handcrafting of the amulet in some particular regions is bound to certain rituals. For Bulgarians from the village of Yasaug the martenitsas are made "by a hungry-hearted" and in Nova Nadejda they're "twisted by a man who hasn't kindled a fire". In Ochrid (Macedonia) they're made while keeping the eyes closed and wool collected from stubble-fields and briers. The thread of the martenitsa is always twisted, because "a not-twisted thread is not a martenitsa" and the twisting is done always leftward.
