According to an old legend, martenitsas were spread across the Bulgarian lands since the Thracians, with even Orpheus decorating his lyre with them. ‎

A more recent legend connects the martenitsa with the settlement of the Asparuh Bulgarians on the Balkan Peninsula and their glorious victories. ‎

In Bulgaria, this custom is very widespread. Martenitsa has even become one of our national symbols. However, the red and white woven threads are not an exclusively Bulgarian tradition. 

It turns out that it is also known in Romania, Moldova, Albania, Greece, Serbia, and North Macedonia, where similar amulets for health are also worn - albeit under different names. In Romania, martenitsa are tied to the hands of only women and young children, while men can only wear them in a hidden place, for example in their shoes. In Greece, they are tied only to the hands of children. 

In Bulgaria, martenitsas are all over the streets and squares since the beginning of February. Skilled craftsmen present their products at improvised stalls in large cities. And neither snow nor sub-zero temperatures can stop the demand and supply of this revered symbol of spring. ‎

"We see that synthetic materials are used today in making martenitsas, some white threads are sold as martenitsaa, and sometimes they are only red. We try to explain to the children that in order for it to be a martenitsa, the thread must first be wound. As the old people used to say, "unwound thread is not a martenitsa." The threads must be woolen in the traditional martenitsa. And last but not least, red and white were the most common combinations in Bulgarian lands, but there are other colors in martenitsas. 

For example, there are colorful martenitsas in the Rhodope Mountains. They include yellow, green, and blue. Also in Berkovitsa and in Kardzhali there is a two-colored martenitsa, which is white and blue. While in Melnik and Sofia there is red and blue. Black is also common in the Bulgarian traditional martenitsa. When we talk about the martenitsa, we should not appropriate it as national pride and something unique only for us. 

For example, the martenitsa, which was most characteristic of Romania, the so-called martisor, consists of white and black twisted threads. So the more important thing is that the martenitsa is twisted. Because, on the one hand, the twisting symbolizes the intertwining of the winter season with the summer season – the month of March is precisely this transition from winter to summer," says Maria Boyanova. 

"The request was to receive health in return. This is an ancient formula – I give in order to receive, or the way in which since ancient times people have asked the gods for what they need. Giving a sacrifice works on the same principle, while kneading a ritual bread is a kind of grain sacrifice. People first give something from themselves, and the best, most valuable thing they have, in order to receive something they need in return. And specifically with the formula "Here is a martenitsa, give me health!", the martenitsa is given to the sun as a sacrifice. The special thing is that after it is thrown towards the sun, the martenitsa is burned. Apparently, in this way it goes to the sun so that people can receive health in return." 

Once put on March 1, the martenitsa can be worn until March 9 - the church holiday of the Forty Holy Martyrs or until March 25 – the Feast of the Annunciation", says Maria Boyanova.  The martenitsa can also be taken off when the first stork, swallow, cuckoo appears or when the first fruit tree blooms. According to another belief, however, the martenitsa can be worn until the beginning of the harvest in the summer.