Comenius project 2o EPAL Serron Greece

1. COMENIUS PROJECT)
“Building the cultural bridges of friendship”
2nd EPAL School, Serres -Greece
Martia (martis)
custom

2. The custom of "Martia" is very old
it dates back to Ancient Greece.

3. On the 1st till the 31st of March children would
put a ‘martia’ around their wrists.

4. These are some kind of bracelets and are called
‘Martis’.

5. They are made of red and white string and are tied onto the wrists of the
children.

6. According to tradition children wear these bracelets so that the sun
of early spring doesn’t burn their cheeks. The bracelet is red and
white, symbolic of rosy cheeks yet a white complexion.

7. How martia (martis) is made
It’s extremely simple to make martia, since we only need two knitting
threads - one white and one red.

8. We just twist white and red
threads together tight.

9. We tie the bracelet around our wrists.

10. People wear martia for a certain period of
time, the end of March which usually is
connected with the first signs of spring blossomed trees or spring birds like
storks, swallows or cranes.

11. In some parts of Greece people put their martia onto rose
trees when they see the first swallow, so that the birds can
use it to build their nests.