As the Bulgarian traditional saying goes, “The world has survived because it laughed”. Scientists all around the world who have gone deeper into the complexities human nature have also proved that laughter is one of the instruments that people use to adapt to the surrounding environment and it is a indicator of spiritual and physical health.
The integral human feature of possessing sense of humor and satire has been given a special place around the world and a special day for celebration – April 1, which is marked in each country in a distinctive way. It will not be an exaggeration to say that April Fool’s Day is one of Bulgarians’ the favourite holidays. On this day, tradition has it that everyone has to fool at least one of their friends and relatives with a witty joke.
The capital of humour in Bulgaria is the town of Gabrovo situated in Central Bulgaria. It will mark April 1 with a special all-day entertaining program under the motto “Fighting the crisis with a Gabrovo cat”. The town is the venue of the House of Humor and Satire, which is one of the symbols of the town that has made it world-famous. The cat with the pruned tail is also among the emblems of Gabrovo. The cat, which is a popular character in jokes and anecdotes, preserved the warmth in the home in the past, and nowadays it is a symbol of energy efficiency. One of the wittiest and funniest interpretations tells that Gabrovo residents prune the tails of their cats so that the door behind them might close faster and thus the room will be kept warm for longer. Gabrovo residents, known for their frugality and skill to bargain, know how to make fun of themselves and use a lot of self-irony.

One of the most favourite topics for making jokes in Bulgaria are local politicians and their blunders. In the recent past, one of the most frequent characters to appear in anecdotes was the former Communist leader Todor Zhivkov. Two other characters have become symbolic of Bulgaria’s satirical gifts – the poor villager Hitar Petar remarkable for his wittiness, wile and slyness, and the infamous Bay Ganyo, the stereotype of many negative Bulgarian qualities.
Still, what makes Bulgarians today laugh? Michail Veshim, popular Bulgarian writer and editor-in-chief of the satirical newspaper “Sturshel”, said to a Radio Bulgaria reporter:

“We, Bulgarians, have a common Bulgarian humour and also a local sense of humour characteristic for each region. In addition to that, being part of the Balkans Balkans, we own the typical Balkan sense of humor that is not as delicate and refined as that of the English or the French. Our sense of humor is a bit more straightforward, even rude and offensive at times. One’s sense of humor also depends of the intelligence of the person. Or put in brief, tell me what makes you laugh and I will tell you who you are.”

Another famous Bulgarian humorist, Chudomir, used to say: “The emptiest day in our days is the day in which we never laughed”. What is more, even science has proved that people who laugh more often, live longer than people who rarely laugh. Do Bulgarians have a sense of humor? 

“I could not draw a general conclusion for all Bulgarians as Bulgarians are all sorts of different people in one nation”, writer Michail Veshim says. “Some of us have a sense of humor, others don’t. People who don’t have a sense of humor are really unfortunate. It seems like God has deprived them of one way to enjoy living on this earth. Unfortunately, the sense of humor cannot be implanted. You can implant a heart, a liver, a kidney, but not a sense of humor. How can we refine our sense of humor? One way is looking at the best examples in literature and cinema. The happiest people are those who possess not only a sense of humor but also a sense of self-irony. This is one of the best qualities that a person has – to show self-irony and take his own faults with a smile. We should look with a sense of humor to the world and to ourselves, and thus we will live easier lives”, writer Michail Veshim says in conclusion.

Translated by: Rossitsa Petcova