Traditional Calendar
JANUARY
The New Year, called also Survaki or Saint Basil’s Day, is celebrated on January 1st. On the Eve of December 31st the housewife prepares a banitsa (made of filo pastry, with cheese and egg filling) with fortune slips in it - cornel buds, symbolizing health and fertility and a coin symbolizing welfare.
The New Year table is abundant and various. The main dish is turkey or pork served with pickled cabbage. The arranged table is incensed and then the oldest person in the house rotates the pan with the banitsa three times and then gives a piece of it to everyone around the table.
On the next day early in the morning survakari go out – these are the little boys from the village. Every family waits for them eagerly. They bring decorated cornel twigs (called survachki) with many-coloured threads and garlands from popcorn and go from house to house wishing people a Happy New Year by tapping the master of the house on his back with the cornel twig singing songs for health and fertility. In fact the act of sourvakane i.e. tapping the master of the house and the other family members on their back by a cornel twig, is a wish for health and prosperity for all year round. And people show their gratitude to the boys by giving them bagels, bread, sweets, dried fruits and coins.
On January 6th the Bulgarian village celebrates the Saint Jordan's Day. The feast is also known as Epiphany. On that day it is believed that the water acquires purifying powers. Therefore several days before that day, the priest goes from house to house and sprinkles with holy water. Early in the morning the festal procession starts, all villagers take part in it with the priest at the head; they all go to the nearest water basin - a river, a lake, a dam or the sea if the settlement is at the coast. The priest throws a silver cross in the water and young men jumps in the water to find it. The belief is that the man who finds the cross will be lucky and healthy all year round. It should be noted that young men who rush in the water are really brave as these are the coldest days of the year and the air temperature often goes far below zero Celsius.
On January 7th is Ivanovden – the day of St. Joan the Baptist. On that day everyone named Ivan, Ivanka or similar celebrates and having into mind that those are the most popular names in Bulgaria it wont be wrong to say that all Bulgarians are celebrating.
On January 8th we celebrate Babinden – a feast dedicated to the midwife or the woman that helps for taking care of babies. Because in most cases the women who help the young mother with the baby are her mother and mother-in-law i.e. baby's grandmothers that is why that day is called Babinden (Grandmother's day). This is the day of the petticoat government and men should stay at home. In villages there are parades usually headed by the mother with most children and to all midwifes and women who help young mothers with their babies, soap and towels are given as a gift (as a symbol of the fact that this woman gives the baby its first bath). Of course all ends up around the table where among all traditional dishes you will find again the famous banitsa.
The New Year, called also Survaki or Saint Basil’s Day, is celebrated on January 1st. On the Eve of December 31st the housewife prepares a banitsa (made of filo pastry, with cheese and egg filling) with fortune slips in it - cornel buds, symbolizing health and fertility and a coin symbolizing welfare.
The New Year table is abundant and various. The main dish is turkey or pork served with pickled cabbage. The arranged table is incensed and then the oldest person in the house rotates the pan with the banitsa three times and then gives a piece of it to everyone around the table.
On the next day early in the morning survakari go out – these are the little boys from the village. Every family waits for them eagerly. They bring decorated cornel twigs (called survachki) with many-coloured threads and garlands from popcorn and go from house to house wishing people a Happy New Year by tapping the master of the house on his back with the cornel twig singing songs for health and fertility. In fact the act of sourvakane i.e. tapping the master of the house and the other family members on their back by a cornel twig, is a wish for health and prosperity for all year round. And people show their gratitude to the boys by giving them bagels, bread, sweets, dried fruits and coins.
On January 6th the Bulgarian village celebrates the Saint Jordan's Day. The feast is also known as Epiphany. On that day it is believed that the water acquires purifying powers. Therefore several days before that day, the priest goes from house to house and sprinkles with holy water. Early in the morning the festal procession starts, all villagers take part in it with the priest at the head; they all go to the nearest water basin - a river, a lake, a dam or the sea if the settlement is at the coast. The priest throws a silver cross in the water and young men jumps in the water to find it. The belief is that the man who finds the cross will be lucky and healthy all year round. It should be noted that young men who rush in the water are really brave as these are the coldest days of the year and the air temperature often goes far below zero Celsius.
On January 7th is Ivanovden – the day of St. Joan the Baptist. On that day everyone named Ivan, Ivanka or similar celebrates and having into mind that those are the most popular names in Bulgaria it wont be wrong to say that all Bulgarians are celebrating.
On January 8th we celebrate Babinden – a feast dedicated to the midwife or the woman that helps for taking care of babies. Because in most cases the women who help the young mother with the baby are her mother and mother-in-law i.e. baby's grandmothers that is why that day is called Babinden (Grandmother's day). This is the day of the petticoat government and men should stay at home. In villages there are parades usually headed by the mother with most children and to all midwifes and women who help young mothers with their babies, soap and towels are given as a gift (as a symbol of the fact that this woman gives the baby its first bath). Of course all ends up around the table where among all traditional dishes you will find again the famous banitsa.
