40 Holy Martyrs (Mladentzi) Day

March 9th

   We present one of the Bulgarian spring festivals, marked on March 9, called Mladentzi (the Infants or Innocents).

     According to popular belief, on Mladentsi, the Sun itself stabs 40 hot skewer-rays into the Earth to warm it. People on their part light ritual fires on Earth to re-kindle the spring Sun. And in this circle of energies, the Sun, the Earth and the people are re-charged with a new vitality after the winter. According to popular belief, the celestial and earthly fires have the power to purify. That is why according to custom, on Mladentsi – as is the case with all other early spring feast days – people jump over bonfires. It is believed, that he who jumps over the March fires, will enjoy good health and vitality throughout the year. We find other ritual connections on Mladentsi day, with the other feast days, marking the transition from winter to spring. On Mladentsi, women put away the red home-made fabrics, which they ritually put out on the fences on March the 1st – as a welcome sign for Granny Martha (as March the 1st is called in Bulgaria) and to make her smile, so that she may warm the weather. There is a folk belief that connects Mladentsi with another feast day – Annunciation - on Mladentsi day, God strikes the Earth 40 times with a staff, to awaken the snakes from their winter slumber – the snake is a symbol of the Earth and the fruit-bearing forces. But they only awaken after they have turned on their other side, and come out of their lairs after Annunciation day on March 25.

      Mladentsi is actually the traditional name given to the Christian 40 Holy Martyrs day, which honours the 40 warrior-Christians, who died for their faith in the 4th century. For this reason, in some parts of the country Mladentsi is also called “Svetoto” or the holy. The number 40 is the element, taken from Christianity that is most widespread on this day. It is included in all folklore rituals, connected with Mladentsi. According to custom, each woman must knead and then bake 40 loaves, shaped like human figures which are called Mladentsi (infants). The loaves are then coated in honey and given out to friends and neighbours – for the health of their children. For the ritual meal at home, women make 40 sarmi (stuffed cabbage leaves), 40 stuffed peppers and 40 snails or river crabs. They must be eaten with 40 sips of wine or brandy. We find the ritual meaning of the number 40 in another custom – according to which women must sow 40 threads. As well as in the tradition of each farmer planting 40 nests of potatoes, in the belief that they will be particularly bountiful. The belief that if one puts 40 willow twigs into the earth on Mladentsi, they will take root and grow into sturdy trees, is another symbol of the ritual “awakening” of the Earth.
     In North Western Bulgaria, there is a ritual of calling out to the forest to come out in leaf on Mladentsi. The ritual is performed by unmarried girls, who light fires on the hills –and all this in complete silence. But as soon as the sun comes up, the girls start singing songs, calling on the forests to come out in leaf, because their green colour will be a sign that spring has come. There is a similar custom in Haskovo region in the Thracian plain. There, young girls make a ritual tour of all of their village’s lands – the fields, the vineyards, the meadows – singing ritual songs. The harmonious bond between nature and people connects spring with the hopes of the “blossoming” of the girls. Alongside the appeals to nature, the girls also express their hopes of marrying soon. In some parts, the girls’ ritual group carries a symbolical bride-doll. In North Western Bulgaria, one of the songs the girls sing tells the story of how the mountain has come out in leaf, reawakening after the winter. And in the foothills, a girl is standing in the vineyards, by the name of Lala. She has adorned her head with a crane feather which quivers with every step she takes. The girl’s beauty immediately attracts the young shepherds, who have taken their flocks out into the mountain to graze.

   There is another ritual carrying the same pre-nuptial message, practiced in some villages on Mladentsi day, when the girls choose a leader for the forthcoming ritual called Lazaruvane in the week preceding Easter. That is when the most triumphal procession of the village girls of marrying age takes place. Because the St. Lazarus day procession takes the girls from house to house to express, in song, the bond between nature and their own hopes of starting up a family, continuing the bloodline and the prosperity of the entire village. The musicians playing in the fire-dancing ritual are also carefully selected.  They have, too, inherited their gift as a family tradition.  Some of them play only at the ritual.  It is a magical experience for them.  The musicians know that their music “guides” the fire-dancers.  That is why there is a magical harmony between the players and the dancers, inspiring each of them. This experience is very much different from any other performance, musicians say.

   The fire-dancing melodies are handed down from generation to generation and are performed only at the ritual.  During the rest of the year, the fire-dancing drum is kept together with the ritual icons in a special chapel.  It is usually built in the vicinity of a holy, healing spring. The drum and the icons are consecrated in its waters every year before the fire-dancing procession.  People, known for their virtue, are chosen for the occasion to carry the icons ahead of the procession on its way from the chapel to a place, where a huge bonfire has burnt throughout the day so that there will be live coals for the fire-dancing.

    The procession, the fire and the fire-dancing purify and consecrate the space inhabited by people.  The ritual is also believed to intensify and kindle up the energy of the Sun.  This is what the ritual means nowadays although, no doubt, it has ancient roots.

 Addendum -  The Christian holiday Holy Forty Martyrs is also called “Svetoto” or All Saints’ Day. A legend of the Bulgarians from the village of Zelenovka, Tavria, tells how God on this day drives 40 red-hot spits into the earth to warm it and “the sun turns towards summer” and people can sow and plant. As a protection against measles women bake small breads, cover them with honey, smoke them with incense and give them out to neighbours for the health of the children. Every housewife on this day cooks 40 red peppers stuffed with rice. Everyone tries to eat 40 different things on this day. People don’t kill birds, don’t scald wool so as not to make Grandmother Measles angry. Children go up a high hill, roll down stones and say: "Roll out, Winter, roll in Summer!"
       On that day snakes and lizards come out of their holes. People light fires, jump over them and get in the smoke to banish evil forces. The one who kills a snake on that day must cut its head, put seeds of sweet basil in it and bury it into the ground. The seedlings that grow out of them are magical. Lasses and lads, decorated with nosegays of such basil, are protected against diseases and evil eyes and make others fall head over heels in love with them. (The Day of the Holy Forty Martyrs).

   The Name Day of everyone named Mladen, Mladenka.
 According to the Bulgarian national traditions, it is believed the land is getting warmer and ready to be cultivated. This day, the sun is turning to the summer and the weather becomes warmer and all insects, snakes and lizards get out of their hidden places. Therefore, the ritual sending away of all the snakes and lizards is a central issue in the traditional rituals of this day. Fire is started and people jump over it, hitting iron objects and performing all kinds of rites to preserve themselves from the reptiles. Bread is baked and then handed away for health of people and of oxen as well.
  The Orthodox Church celebrates this day as the church feast of the 40 soldiers from the Armenian regiment of the town of Sebaste, who died for their faith after terrible torturing during the persecutions of Christians by the Roman Emperor Licinius (4th cent AD).
The names of the 40 Holy Martyrs of Sebaste (Sebastia) were the following: Kyrion, Candidus, Domnus, Hesychios, Heraklios, Smaragdos, Eunoikos, Valens, Bibianus, Claudius, Priscus, Theodoulos, Eutychios, John, Xanthios, Helianus, Sisinios, Aggias, Flavius, Aetius, Akakios, Ekdikios, Lysimachos, Alexander, Iles, Gorgonios, Theophilos, Dometian, Gaius, Leontius, Athanasios, Cyril, Sacerdon, Nicholas, Valerius, Philoktemon, Severian, Choudion, Meliton and Meletios (+ ca. 320)

 

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