{"id":5730,"date":"2017-03-07T14:35:55","date_gmt":"2017-03-07T12:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/harryandlexy.com\/?p=5730"},"modified":"2018-09-29T15:17:18","modified_gmt":"2018-09-29T14:17:18","slug":"martenitsi-fondant-sugar-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harryandlexy.com\/en\/recipes\/holiday-recipes-en\/other-holiday-recipes\/martenitsi-fondant-sugar-cookies\/","title":{"rendered":"Martenitsi Fondant Sugar Cookies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Martenitsi<\/a><\/p>\n

Although I live in London, I\u2019m actually from Bulgaria \u2013 it is a small but lovely European country on the Balkan peninsula. We have a lovely weather, all four seasons are clearly present, we can go to Black Sea in the summer or go skiing in Rhodope mountains in winter. We have a very rich history (this is the oldest country in Europe) and so many customs and traditions that are still preserved, that other countries might envy. One of those traditions is the celebration of Spring, or as we call our national holiday on 1st<\/sup> March \u2013 \u201cBaba Marta\u201d, meaning Grandma March. All Bulgarians give each other small adornments made of red and white yarn, called \u201cmartenitsa\u201d. A typical Martenitsa consists of two small wool dolls, Pizho and Penda. Pizho, the male doll, is usually predominantly white; Penda, the female doll, is distinguished by her skirt and is usually predominantly red.<\/p>\n

The red and white woven threads symbolize the wish for good health. They are the heralds of the coming of spring and of new life. The white colour symbolises purity, red is a symbol of life and passion, and so some ethnologists have proposed that, in its very origins, the custom might have reminded people of the constant cycle of life and death, the balance of good and evil, and the sorrow and happiness in human life. The Martenitsa is also a stylised symbol of Mother Nature, the white symbolizing the purity of the melting white snow and the red setting of the sun, which becomes more and more intense as spring progresses. These two natural resources are the source of life. They are also associated with the male and female beginnings, and in their balance, with the need for balance in life.<\/p>\n

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