InsaneJournal

[Owl to Peggy]

Dear Peggy,

Today is the first day of spring in Bulgaria, which is a holiday called Баба Марта, Baba Marta, which means Grandmother March, the old woman with a temper who brings storms when she's angry and sunshine when she smiles. We have a tradition of giving these ornaments, called martenitsi, to friends and family to wish them a happy and prosperous spring. The white part is a man called Pizho, and the red part is a woman called Penda, who are the couple of spring. Together they stand for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. Of course you don't have to wear it, but if you like, it can go on your wrist like a bracelet or pin to your cloak, and you wear it until you see a bird of spring. In Bulgaria the bird is a stork, but maybe you have different spring birds here. When you take it off, the martenitsa can go on a tree branch that is growing the first leaves or by some flowers that are growing. This martenitsa was made for you by Silviya, and she hopes you'll like it.

I want to thank you for your kindness to my family while Silviya and Nadezhda were visiting. I appreciate your hospitality and my family would like to return it. My parents are honored to invite your parents and you, and your brothers if they would like, to visit our home in Malkograd sometime soon. They would like to know what days your family can make a visit to our home. Please let me know if this is possible and I will make travel arrangements.

Yours with great regard,
Георги (Georgi)

[Enclosed: a martenitsa ornament]

Dear Ernie,

Today is the first day of spring in Bulgaria, so, Happy Spring! Even when it's grey and cold here, you are sunshine to me, you make me warm, and you bring me joy.

In Bulgaria we wear these ornaments called martenitsi in the beginning of spring, to bring luck and prosperity. I hope you'll wear it or put it somewhere you can look at it and think of me.

Yours,
Georgi

[Enclosed: a martenitsa bracelet]