- Preparation for the holiday
- New Year's table
- Holiday customs
- Saint Basil the Great Day
- Bulgarian Santa Claus
- Where to celebrate the holiday
The Bulgarian New Year, or "Nova Godina", is traditionally celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1 in accordance with the reckoning of the Gregorian calendar. The locals associate the holiday primarily with a fun and family atmosphere. During the New Year in Bulgaria, it is customary to take part in mass festivities, after which they celebrate the celebration in the family circle.
Preparation for the holiday
A few weeks before the New Year, Bulgarians begin to prepare for it. As a rule, preparatory activities are carried out at different levels.
Firstly, decorated fir trees appear on the streets of cities. For several years now, in the center of Sofia, a live spruce has been decorated, which was planted more than ten years ago. Every year this tall tree turns into a forest beauty shining with colorful lights and delights the inhabitants of the Bulgarian capital.
Secondly, shop windows are filled with original compositions on the New Year theme. Illumination in the form of snowflakes and other attributes of the holiday can be seen on the windows of buildings.
Each owner considers it his duty to thoroughly clean the apartment and the surrounding area. According to Bulgarians, the New Year should be celebrated in clean and new clothes, as this brings prosperity and happiness.
An important part of the preparatory stages is the purchase of gifts for loved ones and friends, as well as the purchase of products for a festive dinner.
New Year's table
The national cuisine of Bulgaria combines Greek, Italian and Turkish culinary traditions. For the New Year, it is customary to prepare 12 dishes, symbolizing the months in the annual cycle. The table must be present:
- kapama (meat stewed with sauerkraut);
- shop salad;
- shkembe-chorba (soup based on meat offal);
- gyuvech (meat baked with vegetables);
- moussaka (vegetable casserole);
- stuffed bell pepper;
- kyufte (meatballs);
- fried or stewed fish;
- banitsa (puff pie stuffed with cheese);
- chocolate pie.
An interesting fact is that the hostesses prepare a loaf for the New Year, which is decorated with dough figurines in the form of animals and plants. According to legend, if you eat a piece of such a pie, then next year a person will be lucky and healthy. As alcoholic drinks, they prefer exquisite home-made wines or rakia - local vodka.
Holiday customs
The Bulgarians celebrate the New Year with many rituals aimed at improving the quality of life in the future. Customs are passed down from generation to generation and play an important role. Among the most common New Year's traditions are the following:
- Children singing holiday songs called carols. On the evening of December 31, children stand near the spruce and sing songs, the lyrics of which have remained unchanged for many years.
- Eating a pie, where the housewives hide a coin. If a person has eaten part of the pie with a coin, then financial stability is awaiting him next year.
- Decorating the front door with a wreath made of coniferous branches, on which are hung red bells and white snowflakes. This element of the New Year's interior is designed to protect the house from evil spirits.
- Fortune-telling on paper, which means that each family member takes a piece of paper from the bag with a wish.
- To the chimes in Bulgaria, it is customary to clink glasses not only with glasses, but also with rings. This pagan rite has deep roots and means family unity and friendship.
- Turning off the lights after midnight on December 31 for a couple of minutes. In the dark, Bulgarians kiss each other and wish success in the new year.
New Year's customs include a cycle of certain actions carried out in order for the coming year to be prosperous and happy. It is noteworthy that the traditions that existed centuries ago have retained their national significance in the country.
Saint Basil the Great Day
The first of January is a date that cannot be ignored when talking about the celebration of the Bulgarian New Year. It is on this day that the national holiday "Survaki" is celebrated. Children and young people on the eve cut cornel twigs, wrap them with red threads and hang dried fruits, garlic, coins or nuts. On the morning of January 1 with these branches, relatives begin to pat each other on the back, singing couplets with wishes of happiness and health. Bulgarians believe that such a ritual helps to call on higher powers for help. Survachki (dogwood branches) can also be purchased at fairs that take place everywhere in Bulgaria before the New Year.
Bulgarian Santa Claus
The main New Year storyteller of the country combines the features of the European Santa Claus and the Russian Father Frost. This tendency is especially evident in the external image of "Uncle Koleda": a long white beard, round glasses, a red caftan and trousers. Together with Santa Claus, his eternal companion named Snezhanka is always nearby. Uncle Koleda brings gifts to children, accompanied by magical elves and gnomes. These little helpers arrange gifts near the tree or leave them on the windowsill. Only those children who have behaved exceptionally well last year receive gifts. In return, the Bulgarian Santa Claus asks to sing a song or recite a New Year's poem.
Where to celebrate the holiday
Having decided to go to Bulgaria on vacation during the New Year's celebrations, you should know that there are many interesting places in the country. You can stay in Sofia, where the main events timed to coincide with the New Year are held. In the Bulgarian capital, you can easily find a comfortable accommodation option, visit historical sights and get to know the cultural specifics of the nation.
For those who prefer ski tourism, such resorts as Pamporovo, Bansko and Borovets are ideal. You will be pleasantly surprised by the high level of infrastructure, and you will be happy to meet the New Year in the bosom of picturesque nature. In your free time from skiing, you will be offered to taste delicious dishes in the mehanas, which are colorful cafes scattered throughout the resorts.
You can also pamper yourself with relaxing treatments by going to one of the many balneological complexes in Bulgaria.
