Bulgaria's Education Minister Daniel Valchev went back to his school years on Wednesday by going to Sofia's 31 Ivan Vazov School to join the children in their classes.

Minister Valchev visited the household management class of the first-year-in-school children and helped them make the traditional for March 1 martenitsi.

On March 1 Bulgarians celebrate the coming of spring by giving each other the so-called martenitsi. They are made from the weaving of a white and a red thread and are said to bring health to their owner.

The white and red are two of the three colours of the ancient Bulgarian god Tangra and scientists believe this custom dates from the time when pre-Bulgarians worshiped him.

The third colour is black, but is symbolises death, so it is not used in the weaving of the martenistsi.

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