Честита Баба Марта! (Happy Baba Marta)

If you don't know, which I know everyone does, March 1st is a national holiday in Bulgaria called Баба Марта (Baba Marta)! :) In Bulgarian "baba" means "grandmother" and "Marta" is the word for the month of March. Baba Marta is a tradition welcoming spring, and it is characterized by the colors red and white, and when woven together symbolizes good health. To symbolize the holiday it is customary to give your family, friends, people you're close to, etc. a мартеница (martenitsa), or adornment, made of red and white yarn. The martenitsa is usually a bracelet or tassel, and it is to be worn from March 1st until around the end of the month, or until the first sighting of a stork or budding tree. Once a stork or blossoming tree is spotted most Bulgarians, depending on the region, tie the martenitsa to the branch of a tree, which supposedly gives it good health and good luck. There is an old folk tale about Baba Marta and why the martenitsa brings good luck, but I'll let you research it to find out more. Below are some photos of the different styles of martenitsi.

So with all of that said, I hope winter is truly on it's way out. If Baba Marta is anything like Groundhog's Day we might be in for another few weeks of cold weather. At this point I can deal with temperatures around 32F, but anything below freezing has worn out it's welcome. Gauging by the past week, I think we are in the clear of any more snow because the weather has been relatively nice. On average, the temperatures have been around 50F (10-11C) as a high, and we have gotten lucky on a couple of days with temperatures in the 60s. Although, I feel like I'm jinxing myself because as I type I'm looking at the forecast for the upcoming week, and it's not looking good.

Quote of the Day:

"Focusing your life solely on making bucks shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential." - Barack Obama

Peace, Love, and Understanding...

Here is my martenitsa given to me by a colleague.