Traditional Bulgarian rituals

1. in Bulgaria is celebrated with a meal consisting of an odd number of dishes which follows the forty-
day Advent fast. This vegetarian meal includes grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Walnuts are a
necessary component to the Bulgarian Christmas meal. Each member of the family cracks one in
order to determine their fate for the next year. If the walnut is a good one, it is said that the year
will be successful. Bad luck is predicted for the person who cracks a bad walnut.
Another Bulgarian Christmas Eve dinner tradition involves hiding a coin in the loaf of Christmas
bread. The person who finds the coin can also expect good luck in the year to follow.
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.
Christmas Eve – 25 of December

2. The New Year’s Eve
The New Year’s Eve chasing away of evil spirits
The tradition of chasing away the evil spirits of the past year dates back to pagan
times, and is nowadays an exciting event for children in Bulgaria. Before New
Year’s Eve approaches, children prepare (with the help of their parents) a
survachka, which is a tree branch, decorated with all kinds of coloured threads,
dry fruit, dry peppers and popcorn.
The kids also learn a few verses, which they recite whilst beating the backs of
their family and relatives (lightly of course) with the survachka. The symbolism in
this ritual is that through lightly beating the backs of their loved ones, the young
ones chase the evil spirits and misfortunes of the passed year away, wishing
them only fortunate events during the approaching year. In an act of gratitude, the
elderly ones give sweets and coins to the kids.

3. Kukeri
This event takes place twice a year in Bulgaria - the days
around New Year’s Eve and on the holiday of Sirni
Zagovezni (celebrated seven weeks before Easter).
The participants in this ritual are called kukeri and they
are dressed-up men in handmade costumes and masks, all
made of wood, leather, fur and copper and bronze bells
hang off them. They dance, play games, make jokes,
jump, jingle the bells and roll on the floor. Some of the
masks the kukeri wear have two faces: on one of the
sides the face is good-humoured, whilst on the other it is
grim and sinister looking. This represents how the good
and the bad inevitably coexist in this world.

4. Koledari
Koledari, or Christmas
carolers, go from house to
house through villages.
These groups of carolers
are typically made up of
young men dressed in
traditional costumes which
vary from region to region.

5. Jordanov Day or cross-searching
in the cold waters
Jordanov Day is celebrated on the 6th January and it is
one of the most ancient Bulgarian holidays. The original
interpretation of the holiday is that on this winter day,
God came down to Earth, whilst Jesus Christ was being
baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, and
pronounced him His son.
The tradition entails a priest ritually throwing a cross into
a river, lake or any water basin, and all the men wishing to
be healthy over the coming year jumping in the ice cold
waters to look for it. Old beliefs dictate that if the cross
freezes whilst in the water, the year will bring fertile
crops.