Michigan is starting to show the signs of Spring at last. Mid-Michigan resident Margo Wilson loves this time of year because it gives her the chance to share her Bulgarian roots with others.
“Bulgarian friends and family tie a red and white twine thread bracelet on each other’s wrists called Martenitsa,” she says in explanation of her favorite Bulgarian tradition: Baba Marta.
Wilson has lived in Michigan since 1999, but she was born and raised in Bulgaria. Each year, she and her family celebrate the arrival of Spring with a simple ritual.
“We wear the Martenitsa until we see the first sign of Spring--which could be a red robin or some of the Spring flowers,” Wilson explains. “After we see that first sign of Spring, we will tie our bracelet on a fruit bearing tree. When we tie it, we make a wish. If the tree bears lots of fruit, then your wish will be fruitful as well.”
Wilson usually she helps her school-aged children celebrate Baba Marta with their classmates and teachers. But this year, as the global pandemic dragged on, her kids became worried about how they would share the tradition.
“At first, they were like ‘Mama, how are we gonna do this this year? What are we gonna do?’” Wilson says. “And they were like ‘Can we mail it?’ and I was like “Well, sure we can mail it!
Oh my goodness! There was such joy!”
Wilson and her daughters also made a video to send to their classmates, instructing them in the traditional Bulgarian blessing that goes along with the tying of the Baba Marta bracelet.
“We would say ‘May you be healthy and happy and have red and rosy cheeks just like the red;’ and then, ‘May you have peace and kindness in your heart,” Wilson says. “As you are tying it to that person’s hand, you would extend that well wish.”
This year, Wilson also posted about Baba Marta on social media, offering to mail Martenitsa bracelets to her friends and family as well.
“It has been so wonderful to see so many friends on Facebook that I have not been able to physically connect with in so long reach out and say ‘I would love to have one! I would love to have a couple for my grandkids or for my kids,’” Wilson says. “And they have all this week been sending me pictures and saying ‘thank you so much; this has brought so much joy!’”
Wilson says that after everything that has happened since last Spring, she is thrilled to share something that’s so meaningful to her with others.
“Traditions for me are rooted in experiencing joy with my family,” she explains. “So, passing on those traditions that are so meaningful and rooted in generations of my family--that have brought joy and peace and calmness in our family and have rooted us through that tradition for generations--is more important now than ever. So, it’s brought joy back to me to know that other people are enjoying this tradition, too.”
And in a post COVID world, Wilson says things that bring joy and hope will be important as we look to move forward.
“Whatever we have experienced that is horrible, there’s always hope,” she says. “There’s always room for new beginnings, and I think that we should all look forward to building our ‘new’ and starting with hope.”
And as far Baba Marta and sharing the traditional Martenitsa bracelets? Wilson says she’s looking forward to sharing the tradition with even more people next year.