Presentation of the “Martenitsa” tradition, jointly organized by the Embassies of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova in Ottawa
12 Март 2026 Новини
On March 6, 2026 in the context of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Canada, a special cultural presentation of the “Martenitsa” tradition was launched in the Residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa. While the custom is more popular as a Bulgarian tradition, it is also celebrated in both Moldova and Romania. Therefore it was an excellent opportunity for Romania and Moldova to join the event as co-organizers and present the way in which this custom is celebrated in their countries.
The cultural event was organized exclusively for the members of “HOMSA” diplomatic organization, represented in Ottawa. Its program included an informational and visual presentation, a “Martenitsa” ("Martișor" in Romanian language) workshop - a demonstration of Martenitsa-making, as well as a presentation of culinary delights typical for all the three countries (“Shopska” salad, banitsa/burek, sarmi, kachamak/mamaliga, lyutenitsa, kyopoolu, drob-sarma etc.).
During the presentation a special emphasis was drawn to the fact that since 2017 the custom "Martenitsa/Martișor" has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage, valid for Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and the Republic of North Macedonia - all countries with which Bulgaria shares common cultural/ethnographical traditions and a common historical past.
The “Martenitsa/Martișor” presentation event was organized and was personally demonstrated by the spouses of the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania in Canada - Mrs. Vessela Georgieva, Mrs. Daniela Hajdau and Mrs. Alina Manoiu. The launched special presentation demonstrated the unique features of this custom in each individual country, but also its shared elements in the three nations.
The above event enjoyed a great interest and presented an excellent opportunity for extending the cultural diplomacy – for the sake of the three co-organizer countries but also to further the European cultural heritage in Canada.
