Martinki event in 2014
01.03.2014
On March 01, 2014, at 11:00 am, UNESCO Club HAEMUS hosted a public event at Skopje City Mall entitled “Grandma March” Day. Happy First of March! (mk. Среќна Баба Марта) is an annual event held by HAEMUS on 01.03. celebrating both, the beginning of the spring and ancient tradition connected with wearing of martinki (mk. мартинки). The event was made in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Protection Office and the Institute of folklore “Marko Cepenkov”.
27.02.2014 Promotional video by HAEMUS, about the event Happy “Grandma March” Day organized by UNESCO Club HAEMUS [more]
01.03.2014 Vasilka Dimitrovska, director of HAEMUS, was guest at the national television SITEL speaking about the work of HAEMUS as a part of the UNESCO application to protect the martinki as an intangible world heritage [more]
Happy Grandma March Day 2014 event on Facebook
Official Announcement submitted to UNESCO Headquarter
‘Happy First of March’ is an annual event held by HAEMUS – Centre for scientific research and promotion of culture from Skopje on 01.03. This tradition celebrates both the beginning of the spring and ancient custom connected with wearing martinki .
The martinki are hand-made and given as present to one’s closest friends and family, a custom practiced for hundreds of years. On this day, red and white tassels, pom-poms and knit (braided) bracelets, all known as martinki, are given to the loved ones who pin them on clothing or tie them on wrist. The red and white woven threads symbolize the wishes for good health and prosperity. They are heralds of the coming spring. People wear them until the nature starts to bloom and afterwards, hang them on trees.
HAEMUS respect the martinki as an intangible cultural heritage and takes care about the spirit of the tradition, in all its shapes and ways, which will contribute to their wider promotion. Alongside the public audience, the promotion of the martinki is especially focused on children of pre-school and school age, for which the workshops with help to visualise and create knowledge on tradition and multiculturalism.
This statement is to provide support for multinational application to UNESCO about the martinki, in which the Republic of Macedonia also takes part.
Written by Vasilka Dimitrovska
Director of HAEMUS