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Very soon the Russians will celebrate the Orthodox Christmas. This bright holiday is associated with a lot of traditions; Bulgarians have its own customs, as well. How to celebrate Koleda in a Bulgarian family? About this the staff and the teachers from the Bulgarian Cultural Institute each year are trying to tell and show to our students and friends.
A few days before the official holiday, on 20th of December in the hall of the Institute was held a gala evening. Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute Buryana Angelakieva congratulated all with a Merry Christmas and wished to all of you good health, happiness, joy and prosperity. The teacher of the Bulgarian language Bonka Daskalova presented to the guests the Bulgarian Christmas rituals, which has been stored and transmitted in the country for generations.
The audience had the opportunity to taste traditional Christmas dishes: compote of dried fruits, beans, Banica (Bulgarian puff pastry pie with cheese) and specially prepared ritual bread, which is baked inside with a coin. Good luck and prosperity will be accompanied in the following year to the one who finds it.
Students of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute were also prepared for the holiday: they played the famous Bulgarian song "Lily mome" by Ivan Dyakov, "Christmas" by Vanya Kostova and Plamena Stavreva and others. The members of the folklore ensemble "Bulgarian Rose" with its head Svetlana Fursenko invited everyone to the traditional "horo" (a folk dance).
At the end of the evening everyone could join the ceremony "survakane." It arose from the belief that touching a person with a twig from dogwood, it will convey the vitality of the tree. The symbol of the ritual - "survachka" (a dogwood twig decorated with dried fruits, white and red woolen threads) for a long time passed from hand to hand, because everyone during the evening wanted to believe in magic.
Christmas in Bulgaria
Christmas in Bulgaria is traditionally celebrated on 25th of December and the day is called Koleda. Before Christmas on 24th of December comes in Bulgaria Bdni Evening - Christmas Eve. Bdni evening is known as a holiday for anticipation, expectation, preparation for the main miracle - Koleda.
Christmas Eve is dedicated to decorate the Christmas tree, under which during the night, each member of the family will find a gift. On the table on the eve of Koleda are put only meatless meals and they must always be an odd number (seven, nine and so on). Here you can find various goodies: cabbage rolls, boiled wheat with beans, prunes, walnuts, honey, cheese, stewed fruit, small pretzels, but the most important attribute is a special ritual bread.
It is believed that after midnight comes Dyado Koleda (Santa Claus) - a good old grandfather, who carries all the gifts. From the very first hours of the new day begins procession of "Koledari" in Bulgaria, supporting the old ritual "Koleduvane." Young unmarried men and boys from 12 years and older are dressed in national costumes and go from house to house, singing Christmas songs, spreading the glad tidings of the birth of Christ and wishing health, well-being and prosperity to the family. The hosts treat the youth with wine, dried apricots, raisins, nuts, fruits, and sweets. On the night of 25th of December ends Christmas forty-days fast, the fun of Bulgarian continue and delicious meals are served in which it is already possible to include meat.
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