Teaching Community Values Преподаване на ценности на общността

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Description

The Pensioners Club of the village of Babovo established a special interest group called ‘’Skillful hands’’ as a result of the international exchange visit between the pensioners of the Municipality and members of the Third Age University in Galati, Romania.

The members of the Pensioners Club visited the children from the ‘’Winnie the Pooh’’ kindergarten of Slivo pole municipality to celebrate the 1st March known as Baba Marta’s Day and also as the first day of spring.

The skillful hands of the retired ladies made martenitsas for all the children from the 8 kindergartens of the Municipality. The martenitsa is a ritual decoration which Bulgarians wear on 1st March.Nominated by Bulgaria, Northern Macedonia, Moldova and Romania, the martenitsa is recorded in the representative list of UNESCO for elements of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind. Martenitsas are also worn by people of the Bulgarian ethnic territories that have remained within the borders of our neighboring countries – Northern Greece, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Moldova and Romania.

The elderly ladies from the Pensioners Club, representatives of the Municipality and of the University of Ruse  brought  martenitsas, pita bread and sweets and told the children that martenitsas are tied on people and cattle on Baba Marta’s Day – 1st March, as a protective ornament wishing health. When the children see a stork, they must tie their martenitsa on the branches of a blooming tree so that they are in good health all year round. After that, the kind grannies showed the children how to make martenitsas using red and white threads (red symbolizing health, blood, and life; white symbolizing purity and happiness). The demonstration was accompanied by a nice folk song since the members of the pensioners club have another hobby which is singing. The children were prepared, too. In line with an old Bulgarian tradition, they welcomed their guests with festive bread and salt. The youngest children and then the older ones did the ‘horo’(traditional ring dance). Two children recited poems about Baba Marta and then all children sang a song about Baba Marta. Finally, all children and the elderly danced the so called Danubian horo.

Intention

Organizing such public events is a golden opportunity to apply our knowledge, skills and motivation in educating the younger generations to preserve and pass down the intangible cultural heritage of the Bulgarians.