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The egg - a symbol of fertility and new life in Bulgarian folklore

Holy Thursday is one of the two days in the Holy Week when we dye eggs for Easter. Tradition dictates that the oldest woman in the family takes on this important task, and the first egg is always dyed red.  The Red Egg – symbol of the..

published on 5/2/24 4:35 AM
The Radio Sofia building

When the BNR “spoke” Polish

Today, the Bulgarian National Radio’s foreign language service Radio Bulgaria “speaks” 11 languages. Through the years, languages have been added, others have been dropped – something that happened to the Polish-language programmes. They were aired by..

published on 2/16/24 7:10 AM

105th anniversary of the birth of legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov

On this day - 17 January - we celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of the legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov . He was born in 1919 in the village of Gela in the Rhodope Mountains and his whole life remains forever linked to this mystical land. He began..

published on 1/17/24 7:40 AM

Albena Danailova - Second concertmaster for the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert

Bulgarian violinist Albena Danailova is the first assistant to concertmaster Rainer Honeck in the New Year's concert of the Vienna Philharmonic on January 1, 2024. Conductor will be Christian Thielemann . Albena..

published on 12/29/23 3:25 PM

Christmas Eve in traditional Bulgarian culture

The night before Christ's Nativity in Bulgarian folklore culture is known by several names. Of course, most often we call it Christmas Eve, and the main meaning of the traditions and rituals of the holiday is well-known - it is a holiday of humility,..

published on 12/24/23 8:30 AM

The December series of holidays starts with the days of Saints Barbara, Sava and Nicholas

A series of holidays starts in December, taking us closer to the shared moments of comfort and love on Christmas Eve. "Varvara boils it, Sava roasts it, Nikola welcomes guests." this is how Bulgarian people describe the..

published on 12/4/23 3:17 PM

The Christmas fasting - 40 days of spiritual purification before the glorious Nativity

On November 15, the second longest fasting in the Bulgarian Orthodox tradition begins, which is preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. ‎ It is believed that, although it lasts 40 days, the Christ's Nativity fast is not as..

published on 11/15/23 9:44 AM
The solemn proclamation of Northern and Southern Bulgaria into an independent Kingdom, September 22, 1908.

The Birth of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom

After the Russo-Turkish war of 1878, with the Treaty of Berlin, the Bulgarian ethnic land was divided. Northern Dobrudja was handed over to Romania, and Nis and Pirot regions - to Serbia. The Principality of Bulgaria, a vassal of the Ottoman Empire,..

published on 9/22/23 9:10 AM

Kurban Bayrami begins with Arife day

The biggest holiday for Muslims, which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, is Eid al-Adha. It begins in the evening hours of the day of Arife (June 27), when Muslims pay respect to their deceased relatives..

published on 6/27/23 1:54 PM

On the eve of Midsummer's Day “the sky opens”

Midsummer's Day or Enyovden in Bulgaria is always celebrated on June 24, when the church honors the birth of St. John the Baptist. Folklore traditions are associated with the day of the summer solstice, when the sun "twinkles" and "plays" at..

published on 6/23/23 6:43 PM