Tsvetnitsa is the last big church holiday before Easter.It is always on Sunday.
On this day everyone goes to church and holds in hands lighted up willow branches,which replace the palm branches – it is like they again meet their Saver.
Pastors lit the branches and the flowers,bring by the faithful.After worship Christians take illuminated willow branches to their homes for health and to prevent sickness and evil.Usually they are wrapped wreaths to be hung about the house or home over the altar.
-In Bulgaria, people celebrate a special holiday of their names. People with same names, celebrate on the same day. That is a very famous holiday in Bulgaria, and everybody celebrates it like a birthday. Bulgarian name days are:
Vasilyovden- 1 January
Vasiliov den is the day of Saint Vasilii. People called Vasil, Vasilka, Vasko, Vaska, Veska, Vesela, Veselina and Valcho celebrate their name day on 1 January.
Gergyovden- 6 May
6 May is the day of Martyr George Victorious who killed a big monster. On this day Bulgarian families always eat lamb meat. People called George, Gosho, Joro, Gergana, Gergina, Gerga celebrate their name day on 6 May.
Dimitrovden- 26 October
Dimitrov den is the day of Saint Dimitar. And everyone with the name Dimitar, Dimitrina, Mita, Mitka, Mitko, Mitio, Dimo, Dima or Dimka celebrates Dimitrovden.
Ivanovden- 7 January
7 January is the day of Saint Ioan Baptist. People with the names Ivan, Ivana, Ivanka, Iva, Ivanina and Ivancho celebrate on 7 January.
Arhangelovden- 8 November
Arhangelov den is the day of Saint Mihail. Saint Mihail is an angel who always stands next to God. People with names Anglel, Mihail, Rangel, Raina, Radka and Milka celebrate their name day on Arhangelovden.
Yordanovden- 6 January
On this day Jesus Christ was baptized in river Iordan. And everyone one with the name Iordan, Iordanka, Dancho, Dana, Boian, Bogdan, Bogdana celebrates Iordanovden.
Atanasovden- 18 January
Atanasovden is the day of Saint Atanas. On this day people say: Go away winter, come summer! . Everyone with the name Atanas, Atanasko, Tasko, Nasko, Traiko, Jivko, Traian, Traiana, Traika has name day on 18 January.
Todorovden- On the Saturday of the first week of The Long Lent
Todorovden is the day of Saint Todor and it is famous as the day of the horse too. Saint Todor is the patron of the horses. People called Todor, Todorka, Teodora and Dora celebrate their name day on Todorovden.
Petrovden- 29 June
Petrovden is the day of two apostles. Their names are Peter and Pavel. On this day everyone with the name Petar, Pavel, Petya, Petranka and Pavlina celebrates his name day.
Andreevden- 30 November
Saint Andrei was a student of Jesus Christ and he is a brother of the apostle Petar. This holiday is famous in Bulgaria as Mechkinden too. People with names Andrei, Andreia and Adrian have name day on 30 November.
Enyovden- 24 June
This is the birthday of Saint Ioan and 24 June is very famous as the day of the Sun. People say that this is the day when the herbs are the most medicative. People with names Encho, Enyo,Yani, Yana, Yanka, Yanita, Yanko, Yancho.
Antonovden- 17 January
This is a traditional Bulgarian name day. Antonovden is the day of Saint Anton and everyone with name Anton, Andon, Antoniq, Antoaneta and Tonin celebrates on 17 January.
Vyara, Nadejda i Lyubov (Faith, Hope and Love) – 17 September
This is the day of the sisters Saint Vyara, Saint Nadejda, Saint Lyubov and their mother Saint Sofia. In English Vyara means Faith, Nadejda means Hope and Lyubov means Love. Women with names Vyara, Nadejda, Lyubov and Sofia have name day on 17 September.
Simeonovden- 1 September
This is the day of Saint Simeon. Bulgarians say that Saint Simeon comes with the fall. Everyone with the name Simeon celebrates on 1 September.
Nikulden- 6 December
Nikulden is one very importanat Bulgarian holiday. This is the day of Saint Nikola. He is the patron of fishermen, bankers and sailors. On this day people in Bulgaria always eat craps. And this is the holiday of Burgas, our town. Everyone with the name Nikolai, Nikola, Nikolina, Nikol, Nikoleta, Nina, Kolyo or Nana has name day on Nikulden.
Spasovden- 40 days after Easter
On this day Jesus Christ went to the sky. Everyone with name Spas or Spaska celebrates Spasovden.
Stefanovden- 27 December
20 December is the day of Saint Stefan. On this day people in Bulgaria don`t do any work at home. And people called Stefan, Stefka or Stefani celebrate their name day on 27 December.
Trifonovden- 14 February
Trifonovden or Trifon Zarezan is very famous as the day of the vines. Saint Trifon is the patron of the grape and wine-producers. Men with name Trifon have name day on 14 February.
Kukers is a traditional ritual in Bulgaria. Actualy, only costumed mеn are performing the ritual. Their costumes cover most of the body and include decorated masks of different animals or sometimes double- faced creatures, big sticks and huge bells. Kukers can`t be women!
The kukers walk, dance and sing through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, happiness and love to the village during the year. They dance in the last days of the winter, just before nature comes back to life.
The ritual is mixture between Christian and pagan traditions.
The" nestinarstvo" is one typical Bulgarian custom. The "nestinarstvo" is dancing on hot embers without any shoes or socks. The dancers dance with the sacred images of Saint Konstantin and Saint Elena. And the custom is still practiced today in one little village in Bulgaria called `Balgari` in the beautiful Strandzha Mountain, 18 km away from the town of Tzarevo. The ritual is performed on the Day of St. Konstantin and St. Elena on June 3 and June 4. People think of them as chosen by the patron Saint and it is even believed that they can hear his voice and see his face during the ritual. The "nestinars" are not only women, there are also male nestinars.
The most important fact is that the feet of the "nestinars" show no signs of burned skin at all.
Ester is one of the most important holidays in the Bulgarian calendar. In Bulgaria this holiday is popularly known as `Velikden`, which means `the faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ`.They eat Easter breads known as `kozunak` or `kolache`. Eggs and Easter breads are traditional symbols of Easter in Bulgaria.
Congregation
At midnight on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, people in Bulgaria gather at church, with candles. The priest proclaims three times `Christos Voskrese` (Christ has risen) and the congregation replies ` Vo istina voskrese` (Indeed he has risen). After that the people go three times around the church.
Traditions
Before the actual day of Easter, each Christian family in Bulgaria would send presents to their Turkish friends containing a loaf of Easter bread and 10- 15 red eggs.
A typical Bulgarian Easter remains incomplete without traditional Bulgarian dishes like banitsa, plachinki (a type of pancake), baklava, Lamb drob sarma and wine kebap, which are prepared on the Easter Sunday
The eggs
The Easter eggs are an important part of Bulgarian Easter traditions. Bulgarians color eggs into different bright colors. And it is a tradition that the eggs are colored on Holy Thursday after the Divine Liturgy. The ritual of cracking eggs takes place before the Easter lunch.The person who endsup with the last unbroken egg is believed to have a year of goodluck.
Christmas Eve has always been one of the best expected evenings for all people, one of the most festive ones in Bulgaria.
The most important part of it is the Christas Dinner. The dinner consists of twelve or more dishes to represent twelve months of the year. These dishes must be all vegetarians. Christmas is the time when whole family comes together.
The dishes: wheat, corn, soup of lentils, soup of haricot beans, nuts, red peppers with rice, apples, pears, quince, sarmi, banitsa and baklava. And the main dish is a huge round bread on which things that indicate wealth like house and cattle are craved.
Bulgarians celebrate Christmas on 25, 26 and 27 December. And people in Bulgaria don`t eat meat from 15 November until 25 December.
Koledari
At midnight on Christmas Eve there is a tradition of boys and unmarried young men visiting all the houses of the neighborhood. They sing Christmas songs that wish good health for hosts. The boys receive treats in return such as money or food. Each boy carries a stuck called `survachka`, with which each one of them pats the back of their parents, grandparents and friends, wishing them health, wealth and happiness. On these long sticks are stuck round breads with holes known as `kravai`.
Tradition
On the first of March and few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red little bracelets, tassels or small dolls called Pizho and Penda . In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta ( in English баба Марта means Grandma March) is related to a grumy old lady whose swings change vary rapidly.
This Bulgarian tradition was created 1500 years ago from Khan Kubrat and his sons. Martenitsa
The martenitsa is something like small bracelet, made of red and white yarn. The Martenitsa is always given as a gift. Bulgarians wear it from 1 March until the first time an individual sees a stork, swallow or budding tree. But the ritual of finally taking off the martenitsas is different in the different parts of Bulgaria. Some people would tie their martenitsason a branch of a fruit tree, thus giving the tree health and luck. Others would put their martenitsas under a stone with the idea that the kind of the insect closest to the token the next day will determine the person`s health for the rest of the year. Symbolic
The red and white tassels aren`t just decorations. They symbolize the wish for good health, happiness, love. They simbolize the new life and the spring too. White as a colour symbolize the cycle of life and death, the balance of good and bad in human life.
Tsvetnitsa is the last big church holiday before Easter.It is always on Sunday.
