site.btaPopularity of Martenitsa Tradition Growing in Turkiye

The tradition of martenitsas, good luck charms that people in Bulgaria and several other Balkan countries exchange on March 1, has been growing in popularity in Turkiye lately. The martenitsas in the form of bracelets are the most popular, called şans bilekliği [good luck bracelet] in this country.

They are sold in beautiful packaging in many shops across Turkiye, usually with a label reading "Welcome, spring" and sometimes with a short explanation of the tradition.

A martenitsa bracelet costs between TRY 10 and 25 in Ankara (between BGN 0.50 and 1.25). Sellers told BTA that they sold the biggest number in the first week of March but are still in demand, mostly by women of various ages.

Turkish citizens like very much the tradition of making martenitsas. Those who have emigrated from Bulgaria organize workshops to make the charms, believed to bring happiness and good luck as well as fulfil wishes.

Ankara residents are also familiar with the tradition of tying martenitsas to a tree branch in bloom, as evidenced by the charms hanging from trees across the Turkish capital.

There is a lot of information on martenitsas on social networks, where videos on how to make them are share.

On Thursday, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was gifted a martenitsa by a resident of Bursa. A video of the event was shared by Imamoglu's CHP party on Instagram.