On 1 March Bulgarians celebrate Baba Marta - a day that according to the local folklore celebrates the coming of spring. On this day Bulgarians give each other a special amulet called Martenitsa (a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn) and wish to everybody "Chestita Baba Marta" for health and happiness. People wear martenitsi until end of the month (or if the person sees for the first time a stork, swallow or bloomed tree), and then it is attached to a tree as a decoration.

The social workers of IOM Bulgaria at the Safety Zone in RRC Sofia - Ovcha Kupel organised a martenitsa workshop for the unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors accommodated there. The children enjoyed learning more about the local traditions and the symbolism of the red and white thread. They had the freedom to come-up with their own designs and at the end of the workshop eagerly presented the ready martenitsi to each other.

These activities are realised within the framework of the project “Support for unaccompanied minors, seeking international protection” funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2020 under the Programme “Home Affairs”.