More Than a Friendship Bracelet

Inspired by Bulgaria's Martenitsa plus a writing prompt

Spring had already arrived when we visited Sofia, Bulgaria in late April, but fortunately for us, Martenitsi were still hanging on the trees. What is a Martenitsa? In Bulgarian, the word is мартеница.

A token of springtime and love, in Macedonia, Turkey and Romania, these tokens may be worn pinned to a collar or jacket, but the ones we saw in Bulgaria were bracelets,

Made of red and white wool, they are handmade and given to a friend or lover on Baba Marta Day, March first. Some are a simple braid and others a woven band, but I loved the sentiment of sharing the anticipation of Spring’s arrival with someone you cared about.

Mardi Graa necklaces hung on a tree in New Orleans

Visually, I was initially reminded of the colorful Mardi Gras beads I saw hung on bare trees in New Orleans. But a Martenitsa, a bit of folk art, is very different from a mass-produced Mardi Gras necklace.

The color white of the Martenitsa bracelet is said to represent purity, while the color red represents passion and life. The construction of the bracelets themselves, the twisted wool, represents the cycle of life and death and the intermixing of sorrow and happiness.

You receive a Martenitsa on March first and you wear it until you witness a sign of Spring. Perhaps the sign you witness is a migrating bird, which in Bulgaria would most likely be a stork or a swallow. Or you might see a shrub about to burst into flower, perhaps a plum tree.

When you see a sign of spring, you take off the bracelet and tie or hang it on a flowering tree,

In the West, the wearing of a bracelet to remind us of something has become a common practice. We’ve got colored bracelets to champion everything from cancer research, LGBT rights, to sobriety. Wear a black bracelet and you are supporting anti-terrorism, skin cancer research, or perhaps a specific person you wish to remember. Wear a blue bracelet and you are expressing your support for causes that currently include: anti-bullying, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Change the shade of blue to navy or aqua and the symbolism becomes more complicated.

What I like about the Martenitsa is that it is handcrafted and personal. The act of giving the Martenitsa to someone you care about creates a bond. When Spring arrives, and/or April first arrives, the Martenitsi adorning a tree are shared with the world.

Summer is here. It is hot. I think back longingly on that image of red and white wool bracelets welcoming Spring. It’s a struggle to keep things green and watered. Last heard on the news, another war has broken out, and powerless to stop the suffering, I’m focusing on documenting small acts of kindness.

WRITING PROMPT: An Exchange of Tokens. The Signs of Human Connection.

In response to a death or a disaster we deliver casseroles, gather provisions or send money. In response to a new job or marriage we might send a card of congratulations or throw a party. As writers we are asked to SHOW not tell.

This week’s writing prompt begins by thinking about the items we give to each other in response to change. Winter has arrived. Does your character chop wood for a neighbor? Maybe they knit a sweater. A grandchild is about to be born. Does your character deliver a crib?

Write a scene where the small or large change is marked by the arrival of a gift or a physical item of some sort. You can apply this to true events or fictional ones. Have fun and maybe your writing will lead you towards doing something nice for someone else.

Thank you for reading. If you have a folklore tradition you’d like to share or something you’d like to add, send it as a comment. You can sign up to follow me for FREE and if you enjoyed this post and want to support my writing, consider purchasing my little chapbook filled with short essays and poems.

Thanks again.

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