mer ▁weather , ▁and ▁well ▁being . ▁Once ▁the ▁st ork ▁or ▁a ▁sw allow ▁appears ▁the ▁Mart en its a ▁is ▁taken ▁off ▁and ▁hung ▁on ▁a ▁blo oming ▁tree . ▁It ▁is ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁to ▁see ▁trees ▁f esto oned ▁in ▁Mart en its as . ▁ ▁Old er ▁Bulg ari ans ▁call ▁it ▁Bir ch ▁Month ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁bir ch ▁trees ▁start ▁growing ▁leaves ▁and ▁giving ▁sap . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁great ▁amount ▁of ▁fol kl ore ▁about ▁Grand ma ▁Mart a ▁Day ▁and ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁B aba ▁Mart a ▁herself . ▁The ▁gre eting ▁ex changed ▁on ▁this ▁day ▁is ▁Ch est ita ▁B aba ▁Mart a ▁( , ▁" H appy ▁B aba ▁Mart a "), ▁often ▁short ened ▁to ▁Ч Б М ▁on ▁gre eting ▁cards . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁various ▁theories , ▁suggestions , ▁and ▁even ▁several ▁leg ends ▁involving ▁real ▁historical ▁figures ▁about ▁the ▁symbol ism ▁of ▁the ▁red ▁and ▁white ▁colors ▁from ▁which ▁Mart en its a ▁are ▁made . ▁An ▁obvious ▁explanation , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁a ▁common ▁belief ▁people ▁share , ▁is ▁that ▁" red " ▁stands ▁for ▁" life / b irth " ▁and ▁" white " ▁denotes ▁" an ew / on ▁clear ▁grounds ". ▁Com b ined ▁together ▁they ▁mean ▁" new born ", ▁" reb irth ", ▁and ▁" a ▁new ▁beginning "; ▁a ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁surv ival . ▁Another ▁popular ▁explanation ▁is ▁that ▁white ▁stands ▁for ▁wisdom