Regardless of whether we believe in the power of words we say, all holidays are still accompanied with certain wishes. Traditional or made up for certain occasion, we say wishes for sound health, longevity, happiness and luck, especially when the case marks a new beginning, which means new hopes and new opportunities. This is the meaning of the Christmas and New Year holidays, filled with symbolic words and actions.

If we learn from the wisdom of our ancestors, we should be very wary of the things we say, because we have no control over the words spoken. In traditional belief, words are seen as something very concrete, as is evident in the saying: “A word spoken is a stone cast”.

In folklore, wishing someone ill was a grievous sin and an unjust curse rebounded back to the person who has uttered it. You can read more about the wisdom of our ancestors, embedded in proverbs, in Radio Bulgaria’s article: "A kind word - a key of gold - the power of words in folklore tradition"

Edited by: Albena Bezovska