Hitar Petar or “Clever Peter" is a character of Bulgarian and Macedonian folklore. Hitar Petar is a poor village man, but is very smart and has a very sharp mind. He is often presented as the "typical Bulgarian/Macedonian" and the opposite of the rich people. He is therefore regarded as a strictly positive figure and a hero of the common folk. As a character, Hitar Petar first appeared in the 16th–17th century, when Bulgaria was still under Ottoman rule. In the stories he meets the Turkish folk hero Nasreddin Hodja and he manages to outsmart him so they eventually become friends in the end.
Hitar Petar is similar to other characters of European and Oriental folklore, more notable Nasreddin of Islamic folklore, the German Till Eulenspiegel, the Hungarian Lúdas Matyi and the Jewish Hershele Ostropoler.
BABA YAGA
Baba Yaga, known by various other names, is a witch character in Slavic folklore. She flies around on a giant broom and it is believed that she kidnaps small children and then eats them. So it’s basically a negative character that parents use to scare their children. Baba Yaga lives in a house that stands on chicken legs.
In most Slavic folk tales, she is portrayed as an antagonist; however, some characters in other mythological folk stories have been known to seek her out for her wisdom, and she has been known on rare occasions to offer guidance to lost souls. According to Propp, she often fulfills the function of donor; that is, her role is in supplying the hero (sometimes unwillingly) with something necessary for the further quest.
BABA MARTA
Baba Marta ("Grandmother March") is the name of a Bulgarian folk figure of an old lady who brings with her the end of the cold winter and the beginning of the spring. Her holiday is celebrated in Bulgaria on March 1 with the exchange and wearing of martenitsi.
All Bulgarians celebrate on March 1 a this tradition and exchange martenitsi which is belived to bring health and happiness during the year and is also a reminder that spring is near.
The "Martenitsi" are red and white coloured wristbands, or figures, that symbolise health and happiness. They are given away to friends and family. People are supposed to take off their martenitsi when they see the first signs that spring has already come - a blooming tree or a stork. When the martenitsa is taken off some tie it to a tree - one that they'd like to be especially fruitful. Others place it under a rock and based on what they find there the next morning guess what kind of a year this one would be. So, the martenitsa always means the same meaning - luck against the evil spirits of the world, a wish for health and happiness.
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