Bulgarian Folklore
Bulgarian Folklore is rich and diverse including a great treasure of folklore songs, fairy tales, legends, customs and rites, dances, national costumes, folk festivals and feast. It originates from the prehistoric time and represents a mixture of ancient and pagan elements following the rhythm of nature and the feast of the Christian calendar. Every feast has its meaning and importance and has its specific place in the every day life of the Bulgarian.
Trifon Zarezan
The Day of Trifon Zarezan is the Day of the Winemakers and has been part of the winegrowing tradition since the Thracian period. In the early morning the vines in the whole country are celebratory cut (curtailed) and thus the winemakers adjure blessing and good yield. Furthermore it is the 14th February - a good opportunity to combine the celebration of St. Valentine’s day with the good old wine tradition.
Kukeri
Seven weeks before Easter, on the day before the beginning of the Lent, masked males go through the village and visit every house. They wear costumes of coat, scary masks on their heads and sheep bells on their hips. By means of lots of noise, specific moves and their scary outlook the Kukeri expel the ill from the houses and the people. The Kukeri perform their weird dances and thus they bring good luck and health to the villagers and fertility to the fields.
Sirni Zagovezni - The Day of Forgiveness
The Day of Forgiveness marks the beginning of the Great Lent. It is a great family get-together and celebration. On this day children ask their parents for forgiveness.
Baba Marta (Grandma Marta)
This old pagan custom dates back to the 9th century. On the 1st of March the Bulgarians give each other ‘martenitsa’: small white-red strips, dolls or pendants. These are supposed to bring good luck, long life and health. The red colour symbolizes health and strength and the white - long life. Bulgarians keep the ‘martenitsa’ till they see the first sign of the spring – a stork, a martin or a flourished fruit tree. Then the martenitsa is bound on a flourishing bough or put under a stone.
Grandma Marta is a popular paraphrase for the month of March. Legend has it that this is an old capricious woman who rules in March and changes weather according to her mood.
Lazaruvane
This custom of the coming spring takes place 8 days before Easter. It symbolizes the reawaken of Nature. Young girls dressed in festive traditional costumes and splendid chaplets on their heads sing ritual songs and dance.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a of a big importance to the Christian population in Bulgaria. Thousands of people attend the mass in the churches. In the church people receive blessed willow boughs which are supposed to bring health and are hanged out on the home’s front door.
Bulgaria celebrates Palm Sunday also as the Day of flowers and trees.
Easter
Easter is the greatest religious holiday in Bulgaria. According to the church calendar it always takes place between the 4th April and 8th May. The eggs are dyed on Holy Thursday. According to the tradition the first egg has to be dyed in red and placed in front of the house’ icon. The whole family has to attend the festive mass on the first day of Easter.
Fire dances (Nestinari)
No doubt this is the most impressive ritual in Bulgaria - women in state of trance dance on burning coals. It is a mystic pagan custom which came from Asia Minor over Greece to our lands. This tradition was later on related to the Day of St. Konstantine and St. Helen. On 21st May barefoot fire dancers (nestinary) holding the icon of St. Konstantine and St. Helen dance on the blaze accompanied by the sounds of bagpipes and huge drums. The temperature of the glaze gets up to 800?C. The original custom can still be seen in a small village in the Strandzha Mountains.
Christmas
The most important holiday on the winter calendar. According to the tradition on Christmas Eve the meals are 7 or 9 and only vegetarian. A coin is put in the home-made bread and the bread-pieces are given by the head of family. The family member who finds the coin in his/her piece of bread could expect great luck throughout the year.
Survakari
On 1st January the kids go from house to house with richly decorated birches of cornel cherry tree and make wishes for good health and good yield. While making the wishes the children birch their parents, relatives and neighbors and are given gifts like fruits, nuts, cookies and pastries.