Panayot Volov General Secondary School, Shumen Bulgaria

Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria Christmas has been made meaningful by a wide mosaic of folk songs, rituals, customs and traditions.

December 24th Christmas Eve

Virgin Mary had been having her birth pains for five days before she gave birth to Jesus at night before 25th December. This is one of the most important family celebrations in Bulgaria.

December 24th Christmas Eve

At that holy night the ceremonial dinner can start not until all the family members get together around the table.

A log, called budnik, burns in the fireplace, cut off from an oak or pear tree, by a young man. Taking it inside the house, he asks the family: Do you glorify the Holy Infant?

The family make predictions how fertile the next year will be, based on crackling and sparks of the burning log.

The table
he table is laid next to the fireplace, which is meant to be the holy place in the house. There should be served 7, 9 or 12 meatless dishes. They are required to be absolutely lean.

The lean meal is a symbol of fertility. According to the ancient belief, the earlier the dinner starts, the earlier the crop ripens.

During the dinner you should not leave the table so that hens could hatch. And yet, if you have to, you should do this with your body bent ahead - this way harvest will be heavy with crops.

Its obligatory that the dishes should be incensed. It is believed that this way the evil spirits are exorcised. A prayer is said during the incension.

Ritual bread
The figures on top of it show the harvest expected for the New Year. At Christmas Eve the host of the house ritually breaks the bread, giving each family member a piece according to his or her merits.

At midnight, groups of young boys start going round, announcing the Nativity.

The young boys go along the streets, singing songs of wishes for health and happiness. They should be all single, only their leader is a married man. They wear traditional folk clothes. Hosts of the houses gift them with ritual buns.

Christmas
On 25th December people go to church for a service, and after that they perform traditional folk dances on the square. Christmas is one of the richest celebrations in Bulgaria.

Christmas dishes
These are bread, pie, pork and chicken, jerky and cabbage, as well as trotters.

Christmas decoration made by our students

Christmas concert at our school

CREATED BY: STUDENTS AND TEACHERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT LOTS OF COUNTRIES JUST ONE EUROPE 2013-2015 PANAYOT VOLOV GENERAL SECONDARY SCHOOL, SHUMEN