Bulgarian customs Bulgarian customs and traditions and traditions

Baba Marta- Martenitsi

Martenitsa is a symbol of peace and love, health and happiness. white woven - is sincerity in relations and in the red - the warmth, friendship and mutual affection. With beauty against evil - how nice it was invented by people! Baba Marta is one of the most revered Bulgarian customs, preserved to nowadays .Everybody gives his family a special amulet called martenitsa.The most popular to this day is the notion that red-white Martenitsa can be removed when one sees a fruit tree blossomed. Martenitsa is tied to a blossom branch to make this tree fruitful. More difficult to accomplish for urban residents, is the custom matenitsa to be removed when they see a stork for the first time in spring.

Mummers

Mummers are Bulgarian tradition in which men dress up like beasts or typical characters. Mummers are known by names Chaush, babugeri, stanchinari, dervishes or dzhamalari. The ritual is performed during the New Year or Shrovetide. Then the mummers dance in the streets to scare evil demons and evil forces to scare the cold. For fertility and health mummers perform symbolic actions such as plowing and sowing. Mummers`games and rituals are performed only by men, mostly bachelors. Each mummers band has a driver who can be only a married man or a farmer with established social status.

Lazaruvane

Of Lazarus are harvested willow branches, which decorate the entrance doors of the houses the next day. Then the young girls in the village and pick flowers, which will fouling of Palm gums. In Sabbath girls gather at the home of one of them and prepare themselves in festive clothes, decorated with flowers and twigs. Then they go around the village, from house to house singing songs and blessings of good health and harvest. The hosts gladly welcome them and give them little gifts, eggs and fruit. In the past, namely It is also considered that if a girl did not do Lazaruvane would never get married, so this ritual was mandatory for all young women.

Survakari

Survakaneto is an old Bulgarian custom. Usually performed on January 1 - St. Basil. From that custom comes the other name of the holiday - Survaki. The roots of the tradition are lost far behind in pre-Christian era, but its origin is controversial - Slavic, Proto or Thracian. Performed by young boys of 10-12 years. Custom survakane starts in the morning after meeting the new year, even before dawn. Survakari visit the homes and survakat relatives and neighbors for health and fertility, starting from their home. Each manuscript made its survaknitsa. It is made from raw wood, the most common dogwood. The bar is decorated with wool, beans, popcorn, buns, dried fruit, peppers, classes, ribbons.

Nestinarstvo

Dancing occurs only in some villages between Strandja and the Black Sea, Bourgas. Playing the holiday Constantine and Helen. A key element in the custom game is in the fire (coals). In the celebration involve the whole village, but only in the ritual dancers. These are the elect of the saint patron of the day.Nestinarstvoto is inherited. Only the head nestinar may communicate to other fire-dancers strength and inspiration. Chief fire-dancer can be only son or daughter of this, and only if he is too old or after his death. On the day of the feast after sunset in the village square to build up a big fire around which they dance under the sound of bagpipes and drums. When the fire goes out and turns into glowing embers, dancers start dancing on it. Fire-dancer dances barefoot on coals, and while dancing, he can see and predict future.The dancers dance, holding flowers decorated with an icon of St. Constantine and Helen. It is remarkable that after the dance the dancers have no wounds or burns on the legs.