C'mon Spring!

Yesterday a friend at work presented me with a pair of tassels. One red and one white. She is originally from Bulgaria and wanted us to celebrate Martenitsa with her.

The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colors of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good mood and is about to retire.

Since there are no storks flying around my part of Ohio, I'm waiting on the forsythia.