Winter holidays in Bulgaria
•Download as PPT, PDF•
1 like•509 views
Winter holidays in Bulgaria are celebrated from December to February and include both religious holidays and pagan traditions. Some of the key winter holidays discussed in the document include St. Varvara's Day on December 4th, celebrated only by women; St. Sava's Day on December 5th; and St. Nikola's Day/Nikulden on December 6th, which honors the protector of sailors. Christmas Eve on December 24th concludes the overview of Bulgarian winter holiday traditions.
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (7)
Winter holidays in Bulgaria
- 1. Winter Holidays in Bulgaria
- 2. Winter holidays in Bulgaria
- 3. Winter holidays in Bulgaria
- 4. Winter Holidays in Bulgaria December Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 St. Varvara’s St. Sava’s Day St. Nikola’s Day Day 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Christmas Eve 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
- 5. Winter Holidays in Bulgaria Religious holidays, pagan holidays, and Christmas traditions are celebrated throughout the winter months in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's strong folk traditions are celebrated with a variety of winter festivals that take place from December to February
- 6. December 4th – St. Varvara’s Day • St. Varvara is respected for being a protector against the smallpox and other diseases. • Church Holiday: St. Varvara, sabred after cruel sufferings for the sake of her determination not to reject her Christian faith.
- 7. December 4th – St. Varvara’s Day Only women take part in the celebration. Bulgarians also call it “Female Christmas”.
- 8. December 4th – St. Varvara’s Day Ritual Table: Honey loaf, a bowl containing honey, salt, pepper and a bottle containing water are put by the fires. Another custom is to cook beans.
- 9. “Varvara boils, Sava kneads and Nicholas treats." December 4th – St. Varvara’s Day December 5th – St. Sava’s Day December 6th – St. Nikola’s Day
- 10. December 6th – St. Nikola’s Day / Nikulden / The Day of Saint Nicholas (the Miracle Worker) is a major winter festival celebrated by all Bulgarians. According to the myths, St. Nicholas makes winds rage and cease, he can walk on the seas, and whenever there is a ship in trouble, he would save it.
- 11. December 6th – St. Nikola’s Day / Nikulden / This Saint is protector of sailors and fishermen. His festival honours the marine element, seas, rivers and lakes.
- 12. December 6th – St. Nikola’s Day / Nikulden / The offering is fish, carp as a rule, because it is considered the Saint’s servant. The fishermen would sail out early in the morning to catch fresh fish.
- 13. December 6th – St. Nikola’s Day / Nikulden / Defferent kinds of fish dishes are served on the festive table but the most traditional of all is a stuffed carp ( Ribnik )
- 14. Christmas Eve – 24th December
- 15. Christmas Eve – 24th December
- 16. Christmas Eve – 24th December
- 18. Thank you for your attention!
Editor's Notes
- Like most ancient people our slav ancestors devided the year according to the movement of the Sun and Moon
- Like most ancient people our slav ancestors devided the year according to the movement of the Sun and Moon The Sun which gives light and warmth, and influences nature and man is served for measuring time
- This holiday is connected with Saint Varvara's Day and Saint Nicholas' Day. On this day rituals are not performed. The day passes mainly in preparing for the table for Saint Nicholas' Day. In some places cutting and sawing are avoided. Women do not touch sharp objects Old Bulgarians always say: "Varvara boils, Sava kneads and Nicholas treats."
- For Orthodox Christians, Christmas comes after 40 days and nights of fasting. The forty-day Advent, started on November 15, finishes on this day. Folk beliefs hold it that the Mother of Jesus began her labors on St. Ignatius’ Day and gave birth to God’s son on Christmas Eve, but that she told of it only on the next day. Throughout the fasting period, Orthodox Bulgarians will avoid alcohol and animal products. Even the festive dinner on the eve of Christmas is vegetarian and includes no meat, cheese, milk, eggs or animal oils.
- Bulgaria's Orthodox Church recommends 13 different foods on the Christmas-eve meal (salt, pepper and sugar are seen as separate foods). The foods are vegetable and odd in number for luck. The Christmas Eve dinner table may not be cleared until the next morning to provide sustenance for the ghosts of ancestors who may come back to visit before Christmas morning. V egetarian meal includes grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Walnuts, in particular, are found on the Bulgarian Christmas Eve table. These nuts are cracked in order to predict success or failure for the coming year. Another special aspect of the the Christmas Eve meal is the round loaf of bread, into which a coin is baked. The person who finds the coin will be rewarded with good fortune.
- At midnight on Christmas, the koledari (carollers) start their round. Only boys participate as major figures in the ritual known as Koleduvane. Its purpose is to wish health, good luck and fertility to the heads of households, to their houses, livestock, land . Today, Christmas is still a very special family holiday in modern Bulgaria
- We presented you just a few winter traditions from the variety of colourful Bulgarian habits and customs.
- At midnight on Christmas, the koledari (carollers) start their round. Only boys participate as major figures in the ritual known as Koleduvane. Its purpose is to wish health, good luck and fertility to the heads of households, to their houses, livestock, land . Today, Christmas is still a very special family holiday in modern Bulgaria