BULGARIAN TRADITIONS
Easter

The date of this greatest and solemn orthodox holiday is fixed every year according to lunar calendar. Easter depends on the first full moon after the vernal equinox day. In the Gospel texts, it is often said that when Jesus Christ was alive, he used to predict his own crucifix and resurrection three days later. And on the third day of his sepulture, when Maria Magdalena together with other women go to the tomb to anoint his body with holy oils, according to the old Judaic tradition, they find it empty. The preparation to the holiday is made during the whole preceding week. The red colored Easter eggs are prepared usually on Holy Thursday or on Good Friday. The eldest woman in the house makes cross sign o n the foreheads of children with the first r ed colored egg, wishing them to be healthy and ruddy during the year. This egg us put in front of the home icon or in the chest of girlish trousseau, or it is buried in the middle of the field, believing that it protects them against hails. Easter is celebrated during three davs.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve (the 24th of December), the yule-log, the table, the censing and ritual breads play a basic role. The Christmas Eve table should be abundant and should contain odd and vegetable dishes. Traditionally, boiled wheat, beans, stuffed cabbage or vine leaves with rice or groats, dried fruits. Also, garlic, nuts, honey, onions, fresh froits, wine and brandy - all kinds of foods produced
during the year, crude, as well as transformed. Crude wheat and the St. Ignatius ring-shaped cake are also put on the table.

Christmas (the 25th of December). Groups of single men called "Koledari" set out in midnight. Before this, the Koledari, called also "Koledartsi" meet in the house of their leader called "Stanenik". All of them wear holiday clothing and fur caps decorated with Koledari flowers and take varie gated sticks. The start of their tour is announced by a rifle-shot.
Mummer's Day

The Mummer's Day is celebrated on 10th of March. From this day on, all South and East Bulgaria play mummer's dances. The mummers, masked young men, run all houses in the village for health and abundance and the hosts donate them endow richly. Finally, the mummers' group make plough and sow symbolically the "mummer's field" in the central village circus, driving away and predestining a prosperity for the village and its inhabitants. The holiday ends wit an arched chain dance of mummers. During the next days of the week are defined by the people as black. Black Tuesday - called also Dry Tuesday, is considered the worst among all Tuesdays of the year. Mad Wednesday is celebrated against madness. On Windy Thursday women don't wind yarn or crutch in order to prevent people against giddiness and dizzy. Black Friday is considered the worst of all 12 Black Fridays of the year.
St. Lazar's day
The orthodox Christian Church dedicates this day to Lazar, who has been raised from dead by Jesus C hrist on the fourth d ay after his sepulture, as a sign of gratitude for his hospitality. Our people names this holiday "Lazar", "Lazaritsa" or "Lazar's Saturday". Its date is mobile in the calendar of holidays. It is celebrated only on Saturday, one week before Easter. It is typical with some particularly interesting girlish costumes called "lazaruvane", "kumichene" and "boenek". Early morning, on Lazar's day, the girls, wearing new and clean dresses, the heads decorated with wreaths and fresh flower bunches, go round the village houses. They use to sing ritual songs and play ritual dances called "boenek".
Nestinarstvo
The "Nestinarstvo" is a Bulgarian custom, where the basic ritual element is the fire-dancing. It is executed in some villages between the mountain of Straldzha and Black Sea on the holiday of St. St. Konstantin and Elena. The whole village is included in the holiday and only the called people - the fire-dancers called "Nestinars" are included in the dance. They are considered elected people of the holiday patron, they see his image, "hear" his voice, the spirit of the Saint inspire them, "catch them", they look in the future on his behalf, discover secrets, advise, scold. The Nestinars are men and women on different age, belonging to one clan, and their abilities are transmitted to the sons and daughters. The "Capital" of the Nestinars is a small church at the home of the main Nestinar woman. The icons of St. Konstantine and St Elena are placed in the middle of the iconostasis, on the east, and near them are placed the icons of the Virgin Mary St. George and St. Panteleimon, Holy Land stamps and red towels decorated with suns.
Baba Marta
March is the only women's month and its brightest sign is the so called "martenitsa", symbolizing the revival and the cult of Sun. This is the month of the conception of spring and earth, which brings into the world summer and fertility. The white color symbolizes male principle, power and light. The red color symbolizes female principle, health and is sign of blood, conception and birth. We have to remember that the first female wedding dress was red. The holiday is named "Baba Marta" and is celebrated on the 1st of March. The martenitsa is a kind of talisman against the severe forces. The decoration with martenitsa is a magic ritual act. The twisted white and red crewels protect people by means of contact magic.