Christmas Eve, festive dinner, ritual thurification… All of them words used to describe rituals, embodying the festive spirit of Christmas Eve. Families are brought together by the warm glow of home, the ritual meal, the sense of belonging, of mystery. On any other day of the year we may never stop in our tracks in search of novel sensations; on Christmas Eve however we invariably endeavor to hold on to tradition as it was handed down to us. Or – as we have read about it.

Nowadays this day seems to revolve around the preparations for the festive meal, still there are other elements of folklore tradition that are still alive. Once, a budnik (yule-log) would be got ready early in the morning – a log to be put into the hearth and burn through the night to keep the fire going. When the men went out to chop it down, they had to be careful not to let it touch the ground; they would pick it up at once and take it home with much pomp and ceremony. For the budnik they would choose a tree that was robust and prolific – a big oak, beech or pear tree. In some parts of the country a young man dressed in his finest clothes would step into the yard carrying the log and ask: “Do you give glory to the young God?” And the rest of the family would answer: “We give glory and bid you welcome!” Then the young man would bring the log into the house saying: “I enter the house and God with me!”

In other parts of Bulgaria the man of the house would carry the log in on his right shoulder, let it roll towards the fireplace and chant: “And God came and blessed calves, stallions, lambs, piglets, ears of wheat with luck and understanding!” In our day these dialogues are played out by people reenacting the “complete version” of the ritual. Then the log would be anointed with oil, sanctified in church. A hole would be bored into its thick end and filled with incense, butter and wine, then it would be stoppered using a wooden wedge and wrapped in white linen. The anointment ritual would be accompanied by chants – about the tree and how the young God shall use it to come down to Earth. The oldest woman of the household would then sprinkle the log with grains of wheat. And in the evening the log would be set fire to; the way it burned would show what kind of harvest there would be. If there was a blazing flame with lots of sparks, there would be a bumper crop. If the fire kept going through the night and the log burnt away completely – that was a good sign. The log cinders were considered to be magical, so they would be collected in a pot to be sprinkled onto the wheat, the animal feed, they were even used as a cure.

But it wasn’t just the log or the fire, all Christmas Eve rituals were devoted to the birth of the young God, to the young Sun coming to bring warmth and life. The ancient pagan rituals were used as the basis for adapting the biblical story of the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve signals the start of the so-called “unclean days”, a time of nature’s rebirth. This is a period spanning 12 days – the time the Virgin Mary was in travail, the birth of the infant Jesus and his baptism on Epiphany (voditsi), January 6. According to popular belief this was a time when evil and unclean forces ran wild, so different prohibitions were in place. Right up until Epiphany laundering was forbidden – the water had not been blessed yet – so was going out after dark, work of any kind etc.

The last meatless meal on Christmas Eve signals the breaking of the Nativity fast. In Bulgarian tradition, this meal is prepared with particular care. The start of this period of transition in the cycle of nature is marked with an abundance of the fruit of the Earth. Tradition stipulates that the different kinds of food laid on the table had to be an odd number, but there are some that are obligatory – boiled wheat, beans, sarmi – cabbage leaves stuffed with rice or groats - stewed dried fruit and next to them – garlic, onions, fresh fruit, walnuts, wine. The rakia (brandy) had to be mulled and the bread – with decorations. Innumerable pages have been devoted to the decorations on ritual bread. Women in Bulgaria would give free rein to their imagination, depicting different kinds of farm work – a vine heavy with grapes, a pen full of sheep, a stack-yard, a plough. This decorated bread was known by different names in different parts of the country – bogovitsa, bogova pita, bozhichnyak, all of them derived from the word god. According to some local traditions the loaves were shaped to resemble animals, barrels, etc. The third kind of bread made on Christmas Eve was the Christmas bun, of which it is sung in songs that it is “twisted and then twisted once more”.

Once the meal was ready, the oldest man of the house would thurify it with incense; he would then go and thurify all rooms in the house as well as all outbuildings for the animals. Before the family sat down to table, he would break the ritual bread. In some parts of the country, a coin is put inside – this part of the ritual is now part of latter-day tradition. The first piece of bread is set aside for Virgin Mary and is then placed under the icon. The meal starts early – so the wheat will ripen early. No one should leave the table – or luck will flee (the hens will stop laying eggs). It is believed that if you sneeze during dinner, you will have many successes. To this day telling fortunes using walnuts is a popular practice. If the first walnut you pick up has a good, fresh cornel, then the year will be a good and full one. All thurified food is imbued with magical powers. That is why some of it would be set aside and taken to the stock and the fields. Being a symbol of all of the fruit of the Earth, the ritual table is not cleared until morning. It is believed that at midnight the skies open up, the barriers between the worlds are lifted and the souls of our forefathers come to our table. Again at midnight the nativity peal of church bells blends in with the songs of the Christmas singers who go from house to house to bless the households. Having come down to us from the oldest layers of our traditional culture, this is a custom that is performed to this day in different parts of Bulgaria. Because human endeavor for peace and understanding, for health and prosperity knows no bounds.

English version: Milena Daynova