Jessica shared the Bulgarian story of Baba Marta in connection with our fiction unit which explored the genre of traditional literature including: folktales, myths, and legends. We've discussed that traditional literature has been passed down through oral tradition from generation to generation. Jessica shared that her mom told her this story that isn't written down, but she knows it and can share it with us. That's the oral tradition of storytelling in action! Baba Marta is a Bulgarian tradition that begins on March 1. People wear red and white bracelets beginning on March 1, until they see the first sign of spring, such as a stork or a blossoming tree. She shared the legend behind that tradition and showed us some yarn dolls that she made to represent characters in the story. Jessica will update this post with the story next week.
After hearing the story, Costa showed his red and white bracelet and we discovered that Greece also has a similar tradition during the month of March. We looked on the map and noticed that Greece and Bulgaria are neighboring countries in Europe. This must be why they share some similar traditions! Costa is going to ask his grandma about the tradition in Greece and report back to us!
Thank you for sharing with us Jessica, and inspiring such a meaningful discussion that connects with so many of the topics we're studying!
