Bulgarian childrenscattered all over the world this year did not break the tradition to craft traditional martenitsa amulets. The special martenitsa workshops usually took place in the local Bulgarian Sunday schools.

But these days everything is different… cold, tense and somehow scary… The children are different – they are not their usual carefree, laughing all the time selves… And of course they are – after all the restrictions that have driven us apart? And with the war, which is just a few steps away from us…" - writes Veneta Nenkova, founder of the Bulgarian school "Asen and Ilija Peikov" in Rome, on Facebook.

She shares an album of photos of the workshop where children are making their martenitsas, writing, "The only thing we have left is the hope that Baba Marta (Grandma Marta) brings us health, longevity, fertility and abundance... But most of all we wish that she will bring us PEACE... Will she?"

Bulgarian children in Milan took part in the 6th Martenitsa Festival in the Italian city.

"Our martenitsa workshops brought us great joy again this year! Even the sun helped in the organization - thanks to the nice weather, our holiday was even nicer", shares Gergana Hristova from the Bulgarian School in Milan.

Children’s choir "Sharena Gaida" in Berlin dedicated the last Sunday of February to the Baba Marta tradition. And this is no coincidence, as Bulgarian folklore is the focus of the activities for children aged 4 to 13 from families with at least one Bulgarian parent. "We combined the martenitsa workshop with an open rehearsal of the choir. The children sang, Baba Marta brought us martenitsas, and children and parents learned to make Pijo and Penda martenitsa," Violetta Gatev from Berlin told us.

In the Bulgarian Sunday School "St. Kliment Ohridski" in Montreal the students were eager to make their own martenitsas - for health and good luck, delving into this centuries-old Bulgarian tradition, and demonstrating their creative talents.

"Bulgarian ambassador to Canada Svetlana Stoycheva-Etropolski visited all seven groups in the school, and held very interesting discussions with the children about the old folk tales and legends about the date of March 1 and Baba Marta. With the older students they talked about the Bulgarian history and the significance of the date of March 3," we learn from the website of the Bulgarian Embassy in Ottawa.

A bazaar of handmade martenitsi was also held in the church by representatives of the Bulgarian community in the city.

The Bulgarian Sunday School "St. Kliment Ohridski" educates more than 85 students. The school is a magnet for the Bulgarian diaspora in Montreal.

(1) Embassy of Bulgaria, Ottawa | Facebook

Martenitsa workshop opened on March 1 in the Bulgarian school "Ivan Vazov" in the Croatian capital Zagreb. "This year we are making martenitsas in the hope of peace, good health, spring in hearts and radiant children's smiles," wrote our director Iglika Kassabova.

Granny Marta hurried to tie martenitsas on the hands of the Bulgarian children in the Sunday school "Saints Cyril & Methodius" in Athens. On Sunday they marked the upcoming National Day of Bulgaria, March 3.

The children of "Paisius of Hilendar" school in Paris made their martenitsas a week in advance.

"How can we go on vacation without having made martenitsas, even if we're a little bit early!" reads the school website. The children made martenitsas for their families, but also for their French friends!

"On March 1, we will wish each other merry Baba Marta, of course, and we’ll send virtual martenitsas, since it is the winter break now, but they cannot replace the real ones - beautiful red and white tassels, chains, bracelets, necklaces, ballsof thread, and flowers, all made with so much joy by the children and their teachers!"

Compiled by: Elena Karkalanova

Photos: Private library