Martenitsa

Martenitsa is a tradition that my friend Tanya, born in Bulgaria, keeps alive in the States through the handing out of red and white yarn bracelets. The story goes that one is supposed to wear the bracelet until they see the first sign of spring, a stork. As storks are relatively few and far between on the North American continent, the tradition has been modified to include the act of viewing a first sign of spring, typically a blooming plant or tree.

Every spring for the past couple of years my goal is to try to keep it on as long as possible. (Much to the chagrin of Tanya and her cultural traditions.) This is apparently against the Martenitsa spirit. It's hard for me to voluntarily remove it once she has tied it onto my wrist. I love my bracelet.

So this morning, on an early walk past the Commons, I (begrudgingly) acknowledged, after the tenth blooming tree I passed, that it was finally time for me and my bracelet to part ways and to usher in the coming spring by tying it to a blooming tree.

I like to think that I choose the prettiest blooming tree in Boston Commons. Happy spring, e'rybody! Celebrate accordingly.