Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Day of Granny Marta, March 1 marking the end of winter and the coming of spring

Every year on March 1, people in Bulgaria put on red and white martenitsas – a symbol of health, happiness, marking the end of winter and the coming of spring.

Called Granny Marta, March 1 is the day on which we say goodbye to winter and wish one another health and prosperity. According to an ancient legend, the tradition of donning martenitsas goes back to ancient times when Thracians inhabited our lands; to them they were a symbol of the eternity of life and the immortality of the human spirit. According to a more recent legend, martenitsas are connected with the settlement of Bulgarians on the Balkan Peninsula during the times of Khan Asparuh. The tradition of pinning martenitsas onto one’s clothes is also observed in Romania, Moldova, Albania, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov

Council of Ministers has not discussed Bulgarian participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine

The Bulgarian Council of Ministers has not discussed the hypothesis of Bulgaria's possible participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. This was stated to the media by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Atanas..

published on 2/18/25 2:29 PM

President Radev opposes sending troops to Ukraine in any form

As Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, I firmly oppose sending troops to Ukraine in any form, said President Rumen Radev during a celebration of the 35th anniversary of the establisment of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in..

published on 2/18/25 1:04 PM
Discoverer supercomputer

Experts want to create AI factory in Sofia

We are working with the INSAIT Institute in Sofia. If they approve our project, in 2026 we will build an AI factory, Petar Statev from the Supervisory Board at Sofia Tech Park has told the Bulgarian National Radio. The..

published on 2/18/25 12:19 PM