In Burgas region some authentic folk customs and rituals have been kept alive until today, in which millenary pagan and Christian symbols are firmly entangled. Their preservation is essential for the contemporary culture and the preservation of Bulgarian identity.
SPRING HOLIDAYS
GRANNY MARTA CELEBRATIONS ( BABA MARTA)
“Baba Marta” (Granny Marta) is one of the most revered Bulgarian customs that are preserved until today. On this day everyone gives to their loved ones a special amulet called “martenitza”, so they keep their health and strength throughout the year. Martenitsas are specially made for March 1st when, according to the Bulgarian people new business year start.
Martenitsas are always made by two twisted threads – a red and a white one. In some regions of the country the thread strings are only red, in other regions they are multicolored but predominantly in the red color because according to popular beliefs, the red color has the power of the sun and gives vitality to every creature. During the celebration, everyone hangs their martenitsi on their clothes. People wear martenitsa until they see a stork. Then they bury them under a stone, and after some time people predict the future by the animals around the martenitsa. Martenitsi are also decorating fruit trees and the farm’s livestock – for fertility and good harvest next year.
The first martenitsi for adornment of people and livestock were only a twisted red and white thread with no additions to it. In some areas people tied on it a gold or silver coin, but it had more the role of a popular amulet – to protect people, livestock, and fruit trees from diseases. National sense of beauty, which creates original art, appeared later. Usually made of wool, martenitsas are in the form of coins, balls, tassels, etc. There are also many varied fabric martenitsi in the form of white and red squares, combined in two, in strips, wrapped like a snake; squares strung by four, forming cubes; cut coins and decorated with woolen yarn; and the unique dolls “Pijo and Penda.”
The rituals which are carried out in March and immediately connected with martenitsas are of much interest. On the first of March the farmers take care not to hang a black kettle above the fireplace, so there will not be any brand on the corn and maize. There is also a belief that wheat tortillas should be baked and spread with honey and then given to neighborhood in order to appease the diseases. In folklore, Baba Marta comes to people on the first of March wrapped with a red scarf and wearing a red dress and red socks.
- LAZARUS’ DAY (LAZAROVDEN)
Thisnational festival has always been celebrated the last Saturday before Easter. It is entirely a maiden ritual for their introduction into society. “Lazarki” girls visit every house in the village and perform specially selected songs and dances about love and marriage. In folk tradition “lazarouvane” ritual was mandatory for every girl, because otherwise she will not be able to marry. The idea for the upcoming marriage is transformed in the dressing of the girls in “bride” costumes and their decoration with the typical bride jewelry. Today “lazarouvane” is one of the most popular customs in many villages in Burgas area, and it is performed by young girls the day before the Palm Sunday celebration / Palm/. (village of Ljuljakovo, Ruen municipality).
CUSTOM “LAZARITO” IN ERKECH VILLAGE
The most interesting custom, which attracts the attention of our contemporaries is “Lazarito” – a spring celebration reserved in its original form. It lasts for two days. It starts on Saturday ¬ (Palm Sunday) and continues on the next day too. “Lazzarito” depends on Easter and is usually held one week before Easter.
The maids are the main actors in the celebration. A 12 – year old girl is being chosen as the main leader of all the girls. This symbolizes the God.
The clothing of the girls is typical and this is the specialty of a few old women. The shirt is made of white home cloth, and has three – quarter sleeves. Skirts, neck and end of the sleeves are embroidered in dark blue and red colors. The embroidery differs. Particularly original is the decoration of the maiden head.
The girls start walking around the village and sing songs, full of lyricism and beauty, and visit houses. Along the way they sing songs, which praise hard work and the beauty of the girls.
They visit the homes of the newlyweds (fiance and fiancee) and sing songs to wish the young couple happiness and joy. Mother in – law endows the future bride. After visiting the village, each “lazarski kudi” (groups circling the two neighborhoods of Erkech) gather in the locality of Dolynik. There the real youth holidays – dances and songs begin. There, plus throughout the holiday, young people sing and play the so – called “erkechki march” – “Flit the little bird”.
During the celebration, the girls led by “buenetsa” approach to the river and drop in it the willow branches, sanctified in the church to see how any girl would live and whether she will be happy.
The celebration continues until dusk. In the last horo dances take part all the young people who have hitherto only admired their beloved ones. The bagpipe player has been pre-defined, and later people elect the best men who are three young men who take the lead of the dance. The best men “pull” the lazarski dance on the steep bank of Dolynik to the square in the village. Here all young people start to play all kinds of horo – dances, including paydushko dance which put an end to the festival late at night. Lazarus in Erkech becomes an all-village feast, and in recent years, this is a celebration of the entire region of the village in Burgas region.
Lazarus is a real celebration and praising of the female origin of nature, a celebration of youth, and beauty, and spring.
- THOMAS’ WEEK ( TOMINA NEDELYA)
Sunday after Easter is called St. Thomas Sunday – the name of Thomas – one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. One legend tells that Thomas did not believe in Christ’s resurrection, so the Savior appeared before him a few days and allowed Thomas to put his finger into his wounds. That is why the Apostle Thomas is called “Doubting Thomas”.
This week is full of young girls’ holidays, most important among which the celebration of the Holy is the Empty Wednesday. In many villages on this day maidens play the “Mara-Lishanka”. They make a bride-doll out of the slippers of a young bride who was married during the winter (one is yellow and the other one red). They dress the doll in a man’s shirt and this shirt is the sign suggesting that this is the proto – image of the great bisexual (androgynous) divinity, from whom man originated, according to Bulgarian folk mythology.
On the bright Wednesday of the week two customs are played, which in folklore are a pray for rain, fertility, protection from hail, and bad diseases. In Burgas the girls participate in an interesting game ritual – “MARA Lishanka”. Unmarried girls participate in this ritual, performed in St. Thomas’s Sunday. Gathered in a house where no child died, they prepare a woman’s head out of three tucked into one another red and yellow slippers (taken from brides or maids). One of the maids, who has performed this ritual and whose parents are still alive, take Mara – Lishanka and together with other girls goes to a specific place in the village. Usually this place is near a natural water source, because after the ritual girls wash their faces in the water. But before that the rest of the population joins at this place. Here the girls hold in hands in two chains. Two by two girls from each chain and Mara – Lishanka “communicate” through songs and all the others play in the rhythm of the song. All girls play by passing Mara – Lishanka until it reaches back to the first girl. Girls and boys sing. Then all participants, accompanied by bachelor men, women and children pass through the village and through the fields outside the village and stop at the river and the girls wash their faces. Ritual dances of Mara Leshanka are accompanied by ritual songs.
EASTER
(Easter, Passover) is the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ son of God.
In the Christian religion Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his being crucified and buried. The empty tomb is seen by women who visited the grave. Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and then to the apostles.
Preparations for the celebration begin in the week before Easter, called the Holy Week. The holiday is celebrated for three days. On the Saturday evening before midnight a solemn liturgy has been served. Exactly at midnight outside the church the priest announces the resurrection with the words “Happy Resurrection.” The announcing the Resurrection is accompanied by a festive song and people go in a circle around the icon of resurrection, then read the Gospel and Apostle. People come to the temple to perform the liturgy of the feast.
Easter symbols are mainly painting of the eggs, and baking a ritual bread. Easter eggs have to be colorful, but the first one colored must be red. In Bulgaria, the tradition is to dye the eggs on Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday, and their number depends on family members. The first is always colored red by the oldest woman. While it is still warm and freshly painted, she paints a sign of the cross on the foreheads of children to be healthy. Painted eggs, according to popular belief, have a magical and protective properties and the first egg is either buried in the ground to bring fertility, or is kept next to the icon to “heal” the sick. When the hostess paints the first egg, she rubs with it the cheeks of children so that they are healthy.
Ritual breads are an integral part of Easter traditions. Usually they are made in a round shape and are decorated with interlaces, and in the middle people put a red egg. In Bulgaria traditionally these breads are made on Thursday before Easter.
Some of these cakes are made sweet and this is the Easter cake. It was made for the first time in the 17th century in France.
Good Friday or Holy Friday is the day for spiritual purification. People don’t work on this day. On this day people bake the Easter breads, and put in them some of the painted eggs.
On Saturday, two hours before midnight, the service in the Orthodox Church begins. All people go to the church, carrying a painted egg. When the priest announces the Christ’s resurrection, they all salute each other and start eating their eggs.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are days to celebrate the Resurrection. Traditionally, on these days people are playing horo dances in the square. There, parents choose the future spouses for their children. It is very important that all people wear their newest clothes, especially the maids, not only to please, but to show that they are hardworking and have managed to sew own new clothes.
Easter does not end entirely within the indicated days. The traditional salutation for the period between Easter and Pentecost is “Happy Resurrection”.
- GEORGE’S DAY (GERGYOVDEN)
A big national holiday celebrated on May 6 by all peasants. Many of the traditions of this day are accompanied by songs and games, as at some places they start from the previous day. On St. George’s day women play a slow dance around the church. St. George’s songs are sung only on this day and they reveal the concerns and hopes of the shepherds for fertility. St. George’s Day is a day of flowers.
Early morning before sunrise, people from the village go to pick out plants and flowers, with which they will make wreaths for the lamb to be sacrificed. Going to and back for flowers is accompanied by songs, which reveal the heart thrills of youth and their longing for happiness. In the afternoon until dark people sing and dance for health. On St. George swings they sing love refrains. In some of the villages the ritual “Laduvane” is carried out.
St. George is known as the patron of shepherds and protector of fertility, which is why on this day customs and rituals associated with farming and agriculture are inherent. The tradition in Strandja region forbids milk eating until St. George’s day, and people to lend leaven in order not to “take” the fertility out of the house. On this day the little lambs are separated from their mothers and the shepherds milk for the first time.
Farmers put greenery and flower bunches over the door of the pen, because there is a belief that the green bunches increase lambs’ milk. The milk is curdled the same day.
On the eve of the feast people go for the first time to pick up a special herb. The herb grows in mountain meadows / it is near the village of Mladejko /. Sick people and their companions spend the night there. During the entire time all keep quiet so that evil forces cannot hear them. In the morning all wake each other silently, by knocking with pebbles. It is believed that dreams that night determine whether the person will recover or not. Then people roll in the dew before the sunrise and wash their faces with it for health.
Shepherds and farmhands are recruited on this day. Farmers give to shepherds a cross – shaped bread with a crook on it. Farmers also give the farmhands the neck of the sacrificial lamb.
Throughout the region a slaughter sacrifice in honor of St. George is a usual practice. It is performed in the morning in the farmyard and rarely in the church. A young ewe which was born first, or which is black in color has been sacrificed. Before the slaughter the ewe is fed three times with salt. Then the salt is given to other animals for a good yearling. On the horns of the lamb one or two lit candles are lit and the icon of St. George is put.
On St. George’s day the whole family gathers around the ritual table, and often guests are invited.