On this day Maria’s parents took her to the temple in Jerusalem to serve God. The event described in the holy s scripture is known as the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is celebrated by Christians all over the world.

In the Bulgarian folklore calendar the day on which Mary entered the temple has been declared day of the Christian family. That is why there is one tradition people in Razlog have been following for 34 whole years – the celebration of the silver and gold wedding anniversaries in the region.

“There are many anniversaries in the life of a family but the ones people love best are probably the quarter and half-century jubilees,” says Reny Racheva, director of the registry office in the town. This year there are 125 couples with a silver or gold jubilee and they all celebrated at a party organized by the municipality and the registry office.

“The youngest family in the town welcomes the jubilarians with geranium, and just like at a real wedding, they pass under an arc and are congratulated,” Reny Racheva says. “The “gold” couples bring a loaf of bread. In a special receptacle they also bring fire which they hand over to the silver jubilarians as a symbol of love. They on their part hand it over to the youngest family – to keep the home fire burning and to sweeten their bread. Then all jubilarians sign a book of records which we have been keeping since 1985. The mayor of Razlog municipality also attends the event and hands out the marriage licenses – though they have no official standing they are beautifully crafted. And as the mayor plays the symbolic role of best man, he is gifted a kerchief, after which he leads the horo dance.”

Reny Racheva adds that it would be difficult to enumerate all of the couples who have celebrated wedding jubilees. She says that there are around 50 “golden” families every year, so they had to start a fresh book of records.

How does renewing marriage vows affect families?

“The effect is very positive, very good,” the director of the registry office says. “I can see the couples positively glowing. And the people with the silver jubilees, seeing the emotion in the eyes of the gold jubilarians seem to take heart to keep going as a family.”

In Razlog families are strong, says Reny Racheva. They have been through hard times but have kept the magic of love alive, as they have built their lives together on the basis of three principal virtues – mutual trust, compromise and forgiveness. Young people tend not to regard the family as something of special value.

“Times have changed, and people, wrapped up in their lives tend to forget they have such a special anniversary. I can see it in the couples who come to register for this party, they thank us for taking them down memory lane. The young who are just starting a family have other things on their minds – what more they can achieve, or buy. They tend to hold material things in high regard rather than family or tradition. But marriage is a responsibility, it means caring for someone, sharing, sometimes even pain.”

If the young were to turn to their grandparents for advice more often, they would get to feel where their roots lie, and learn what family responsibility means, says Reny Racheva.

Photos: archive and Razlog Municipality