This is an old pagan tradition that remains almost unchanged today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy.
The hope is that winter will pass faster and bring spring. A Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a blossoming tree.
Some people tie their martenitsa on a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck, which the person wearing the martenitsa has enjoyed himself while wearing it.
The colours of the martenitsa are interpreted as symbols of purity and life, as well as the need for harmony in Nature and in people's lives.
