Although winter was shy to demonstrate its vice this year with just a couple of scarce snowfalls, Bulgarians start anticipating on Thursday the coming of spring by following an ancient tradition - exchanging martenitsas.

Eagerly followed on March 1 every single year, the tradition of giving your friends red-and-white interwoven strings brings health and happiness during the year and is a reminder that Spring is near.

This year the tradition will be a tad hard to keep as people are supposed to take off their martenitsas when they see the first sings that spring has already come - a blooming tree or a stork. Both have already been noted throughout the country, but that didn't stop millions of Bulgarians from hitting the martenitsa stands that suddenly appeared all over the place mid-February, because everybody loves the day of Baba Marta.

Celebrated on March 1, Baba Marta (Grandma March), a feisty lady who always seems to be grudging at her two brothers, and the sun only comes out when she smiles. As folklore often goes there are different versions of the Baba Marta tale. One says that on that day she does her pre-spring cleaning and shakes her mattress for the last time before the next winter - all the feathers that come out of it pour on Earth like snow - the last snow of the year.

Thought to have been inspired by Bulgaria's first Khan Asparuh, who sent a white string to his wife to tell her he survived a battle, when the martenitsa is taken off some tie it to a tree - one that they'd like to be especially fruitful. Others place it under a rock and based on what they find there the next morning guess what kind of a year this one would be.

The martenitsa now comes in all shapes and sizes - from Guiness-worth giant building packages to two tiny simple strings gently placed on a newborn's arm. Children usually compete who'll get the most and often walk around more ornate than a Christmas tree. However it always bears the same meaning - a lucky charm against the evil spirits of the world, a token for health and a sign of appreciation.

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