Little Cherubs' Snowdrops celebrate spring coming with ancient Bulgarian tradition

The ‘Snowdrops’ at the Cherubs Wynndale nursery enjoyed marking ‘Baba Marta’ Day – or Gradma Marta Day, on Tuesday, March 1.

The historic Bulgarian celebration is marked on the first day of March.

The festival sees the people of Bulgaria exchanging ‘Martenitsi’ which are red and white interwoven strings, often formed into wrist bands, small yarn dolls, or tassels, which are worn until the end of the month.

According to folklore they are offered as a sign of health and happiness and as a reminder that spring is coming.

The children who are based in the nursery’s Snowdrop room also made pictures of the Bulgarian flag to share with each other and were told a short story explaining what the celebration was all about.

Nursery manager Becky Whyle said: “Here at Wynndale we have a few families who are Bulgarian and so we join in with these types of festivals and celebrations.

"We are always supporting our families to ensure their celebrations and cultural identity are marked just as much as our own. We always include the children from supporting everything from Eid, to Christmas, Easter to many more.

She added "We feel it is important to give the children a wide knowledge of the world we live in and to ensure they show kindness and respect for other cultures and beliefs, this is a huge part of our curriculum and blended approach to our early years setting.”

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