The customs related to the Martenitsa and spring in the different countries were presented by the Ambassadors of Romania and Moldova in Bulgaria. The event took place on 7 March, in cooperation with the National Ethnographic Museum. The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Republic of North Macedonia, and guests included representatives of various diplomatic missions in Bulgaria as well as representatives of the Bulgarian government. The meeting was hosted by the Romanian Embassy in Bulgaria. The participants called for peace and unity, just as the martenitsa unites four countries in the Balkans.
The National Ethnographic Museum showed part of its collection of martenitsas made in various Bulgarian community centres in the 1970s and early 1980s. Also presented was a chest ornament “kuna” with an image of the Annunciation, dating from the late 18th – early 19th century. This type of jewellery is typical for the region of the Kotel region and has the function of an amulet. To the silver plate with a church image are added silver and gold crosses, palmettes and rosettes.
In 2017, the martenitsa was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list as a joint nomination by Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and North Macedonia.
