Pijo, Penda and other martenitsas
date: 19/01/2021
PIJO, PENDA AND OTHER MARTENITS
MARCH 1 RITUAL
Once upon a time, every house had a martenitsa that you kept. She was big and woolly. People attached horseshoes, beads, etc. to it. These were the so-called family martenitsas. When the child grows up and starts to start a family, the parents bring the old martenitsa and a new one to the new home, tying them to each other. Thus, they remain throughout the first year in order to transmit the memory, love and strength of the family. The following year, the martenitsas stayed together and hung out at home. When they see a stork, the young family hangs the old martenitsa on a fruit tree to bear fruit for their love. And the new one stays with them to take care of it and pass it on to their children. The old family martenitsa is "bought" by the young with a new one, which they tie in their parents' home to bring them new strength in their old age. And this is one of the most memorable Bulgarian rites.
Let's think - if we have an old martenitsa, isn't it time to change the house. And if the time has not come - with a lot of love to make sure to live to see this day.
And here's how to make "new" martenitsas:
FINGER BRACELET KNITTING TECHNIQUE
Take white and red yarn - 3 threads of red and two of white with a length of 1 meter and arrange them in sequence. Fold the threads in half, fasten them on the side at both ends so that they do not move, and leave the stitches down. Grasp the first 3 threads of the index finger, middle and ring finger of the left hand. Grasp the other two with the fingers of your right hand - index and middle. Insert the free ring finger of the right hand into the loop of the ring finger of the left hand, then the next - the middle left finger and then from above catch the thread of the loop on the left index finger and pierce it from the inside through the other two. Pull the stitches up to make the knitting tighter. To return to the starting position, move the stitches on the left hand a little to the left - from the middle finger of the index finger and from the ring finger to the middle. Now thread the free left ring finger into the loop of the right ring finger. Then in the next one, grab the last one from the top like the previous one and pass it through the other two. Move the stitches on the right hand from the middle of the index finger and from the ring finger to the middle. So to the end. The length should be equal to the circumference of the wrist plus 10-15 cm. Tie simple knots at both ends of the bracelet and cut off the excess threads.
BRACELET AGAIN, BUT KNITTED ON ONE HOOK
80 cm cord is needed, yarn neither thick nor thin - two red and two white threads. Leave a length on one side, then tie the four threads. Divide the threads into white and red. Hook 3.5 mm. Grasp the red cord where the knot is with your thumb and forefinger. Place the cord on the index finger and ring finger, with the middle finger on top. Use the hook to take the red one forward, insert the white one and pull it through the red one. Then spend once more white stitch. Take the red thread at the bottom and thread it through the white twice. Take the white underneath and make two stitches again. Take the red thread at the bottom and make two stitches. Again with white - two stitches. And so you do until the end, as the red stitches should be 8, counting from the second. When you reach the last red, remove a white stitch. Then take the white and red threads at the same time and pass them through the white stitch. The martenitsa is ready.
You are ready for the coming of Baba Marta!
MARCH 1 RITUAL
Once upon a time, every house had a martenitsa that you kept. She was big and woolly. People attached horseshoes, beads, etc. to it. These were the so-called family martenitsas. When the child grows up and starts to start a family, the parents bring the old martenitsa and a new one to the new home, tying them to each other. Thus, they remain throughout the first year in order to transmit the memory, love and strength of the family. The following year, the martenitsas stayed together and hung out at home. When they see a stork, the young family hangs the old martenitsa on a fruit tree to bear fruit for their love. And the new one stays with them to take care of it and pass it on to their children. The old family martenitsa is "bought" by the young with a new one, which they tie in their parents' home to bring them new strength in their old age. And this is one of the most memorable Bulgarian rites.
Let's think - if we have an old martenitsa, isn't it time to change the house. And if the time has not come - with a lot of love to make sure to live to see this day.
And here's how to make "new" martenitsas:
FINGER BRACELET KNITTING TECHNIQUE
Take white and red yarn - 3 threads of red and two of white with a length of 1 meter and arrange them in sequence. Fold the threads in half, fasten them on the side at both ends so that they do not move, and leave the stitches down. Grasp the first 3 threads of the index finger, middle and ring finger of the left hand. Grasp the other two with the fingers of your right hand - index and middle. Insert the free ring finger of the right hand into the loop of the ring finger of the left hand, then the next - the middle left finger and then from above catch the thread of the loop on the left index finger and pierce it from the inside through the other two. Pull the stitches up to make the knitting tighter. To return to the starting position, move the stitches on the left hand a little to the left - from the middle finger of the index finger and from the ring finger to the middle. Now thread the free left ring finger into the loop of the right ring finger. Then in the next one, grab the last one from the top like the previous one and pass it through the other two. Move the stitches on the right hand from the middle of the index finger and from the ring finger to the middle. So to the end. The length should be equal to the circumference of the wrist plus 10-15 cm. Tie simple knots at both ends of the bracelet and cut off the excess threads.
BRACELET AGAIN, BUT KNITTED ON ONE HOOK
80 cm cord is needed, yarn neither thick nor thin - two red and two white threads. Leave a length on one side, then tie the four threads. Divide the threads into white and red. Hook 3.5 mm. Grasp the red cord where the knot is with your thumb and forefinger. Place the cord on the index finger and ring finger, with the middle finger on top. Use the hook to take the red one forward, insert the white one and pull it through the red one. Then spend once more white stitch. Take the red thread at the bottom and thread it through the white twice. Take the white underneath and make two stitches again. Take the red thread at the bottom and make two stitches. Again with white - two stitches. And so you do until the end, as the red stitches should be 8, counting from the second. When you reach the last red, remove a white stitch. Then take the white and red threads at the same time and pass them through the white stitch. The martenitsa is ready.
You are ready for the coming of Baba Marta!
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