How I found my spring feeling in "martenica".

Spring is special for people who live in north.  It is rebirth of light after darkness. In spring all living beings are waking up - bugs, snakes, spiders, bees. Human is a part of it. We shuck off our big coats like snakes change their skin, we come out from our houses to greet the sun like bears waking up from brumal sleep, our thoughts are like birds going south in winter and coming back in spring. In Latvia we say that spring is time for love.  Our hearts and feelings melt like frozen rivers overflowing coasts. My feelings are the same in spring – they flow over the coasts. The first butterfly is a very significant event: if it’s speckled it means that your summer will be speckled and colourful, if it’s yellow, your summer will be hot and cheerful. Here in Bulgaria I miss this feeling, because I didn’t felt winter at all. At the beginning I was happy about that, because I avoided the darkness, but somehow I realized that without the darkness you can’t appreciate light. I always say that in life everything is about contrast. You cannot evaluate happiness without misfortune.

In Bulgaria I found this feeling in martenici. This tradition is so beautiful, pure and special! Blooming trees are all around the country. These trees with white blossoms are just like Bulgarians. They are just standing on the land, with they roots deep in ground, they don’t move back or further, they like their place. And the beautiful thing about them is - they are blooming, they give these lovely, sweet blossoms to others. They can bloom everywhere: in gardens, in the heart of city, in train stations, in garbage. The white bloom is a symbol of Bulgarians who knows where a true beauty is coming from – not from shiny and perfect things. Beauty is coming from people, their ability to give and not asking for anything in return.

I believe that we all contribute our best thoughts, wishes and love for Bulgaria in our martenici. We put our martenici in trees of Sofia and Hysaria.

Thank you for your white and sweet blooms!