Martenitsa

A Martenitsa (Bulgarian: мартеница, pronounced [ˈmartɛnit͡sa]; Macedonian: мартинка, romanized: martinka; Greek: μάρτης, romanized: mártis [ˈmaɾ.tis]; Romanian: mărțișor [mər.t͡siˈʃor] ; Albanian: verore; Turkish: marteniçka [marteˈnit͡ʃka]) is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and usually in the form of two dolls, a white male and a red female. Martenitsi are worn from Baba Marta Day (March 1) until the wearer first sees a stork, swallow, or blossoming tree (or until the end of March (April 1)). The name of the holiday means "Grandma March" in Bulgarian and Macedonian, the holiday and the wearing of Martenitsi are a Bulgarian and Macedonian tradition related to welcoming the spring, which according to Bulgarian and Macedonian folklore begins in March, and very similar to Mărțișor tradition in Romania and Moldova. In Albania, it is worn on March 14 (the old first day of March in the Julian calendar) to celebrate the Summer Fest (Dita e Verës). In Albania, the Summer Fest is dedicated to the ancient Goddess Diana. It is inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.