What is the Bulgarian culture?
- Bulgaria has a rich and century - old cultural history
- adoption of Christianity in the 9th century
- proud of their traditions, culture and heritage
- their love is reflected in everything from food and songs to dances and jewelry
Bulgarian Culture
National Day of Bulgaria - 3th of March
- Bulgarian Liberation Day - the people of Bulgaria pause for a tribute
- The first time of marking March 3 occurred in 1880
Jordanov Day - 6th January
- cross - searching in the cold waters, celebrated on the 6th January
- God came down to Earth, whilst Jesus Christ was being baptised bu John the Baptist in the River Jordan and pronounced him His son
- the tradition entails a priest ritually throwing a cross into a river, lake or any water basin, and all the men wishing to be healthy over the coming year jumping in the ice cold waters to look for it
Martyr Triffon Zarezan (Pruner) Winemaker's Day - 14th February
- celebration marks the death of the winter and the birth of the spring, via appreciating winemakers and vine growers
- vine - dresses' day - frist pruning of the vines
Baba Marta - 1st of March
- celebrating the beginning of spring
- everyone gives each other a white and red tassels, called Martenitsa, with wishes of health, luck and happiness
- they are only taken off when you see a stork or a blossoming tree, which symbolise the messengers of the arrival of the warmer season
St. George's day (Gergiovden) - 6th of May
- according to the legend, a dragon used to attack the shepherds and their sheep and each time the dragon used to steal a sheep or a lamp, the shepherds were desperate
Christmas Eve - 25 of December
- meal consisting of an odd number of dishes which follows the forty - day Advent fast
- vegetarian meal includes grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts
- walnuts are a necessary component to the Bulgarian Christmas meal
- if the walnut is a good one, it is said that the year will be successful
- bad luck is predicted for the person who cracks a bad walnut
Easter - Bulgarian Orthodox Christians changes every year
- colouring the eggs - is the time families get together and have lots and lots of fun
- according to the Bible, Jesus was capture on Thursday during prayer and this is traditionally the day to colour the eggs
- the first egg you paint needs to be red
- before it dries you make small cross signs with it, first on the forehead, and then on the cheeks of the children in the family, and then on each family member
- the first egg should be kept next to the icon of St. Mary in the house until next year
Myths, legends & folklore in Bulgaria
- the wackier the better
- Balkan music
- archaic pagan rituals
- shots - rakia
The Mystical Origins of the Kukeri
- 'kuker' comes from Latin ('cuculla', meaning a 'hood')
- folkloric ritual monster, a man dressed in an elaborate suit of fur and ribbons, feathers and beads
- as they dance and jump in arcane ritual intended to dispel the evil spirits which might otherwise bring loshotiya, or ill fortune, to a community
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