Podcast in English
Audio Player
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

A dragon wedding and sparkling wine tasting on Trifon Zarezan festival in the village of Delchevo

Photo: BGNES - archive

After a two-year break, the traditional Trifon Zarezan wine festival is organized again in the village of Delchevo. 
On Saturday 4 February, dozens of wine and brandy producers are welcome to the village at the foot of Pirin Mountain, to present their best selection. Wine makers from the Greek region of Drama are also coming back to the take part in the winemaker competition.The culmination of the feast is on 5 February /Sunday/, when everyone goes to the vineyard in the Bair ("the hill") area to take part in the ritual first pruning of the vines, after which the vines are ceremonially watered with wine
The big celebration takes place in the village square of Delchevo. Kukeri ethnographic groups from the nearby village of Mosomishte perform, but the most interesting part is the reenactment of the local dragon (zmey) weddingKukeri
An ancient legend says that the village of Delchevo was the lair of a zmey who took the most beautiful maiden of the village as his wife, in exchange for which he protected the village from evil forces and the elements.  To this day, Delchevo keeps the legend alive and twice a year recreates the story of the dragon and the beautiful bride.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

70% of all bird species in Europe can be observed in Bulgaria

April 1 was declared International Bird Day in 1906, under the International Convention for the Protection of Birds. The date symbolizes mankind's responsibility for the conservation and preservation of wildlife. Today, 119 years after its..

published on 4/1/25 1:28 PM
Pirin mountain

A promo video introduces Bulgaria to the Middle East and China

A new short film showcasing Bulgaria's natural beauty, resorts and leisure opportunities is set to attract tourists from China and the Middle East. Titled "Bulgaria: A Touch of Nature" and created by Stiliyan Kadrev, the 15-minuteo offers a visual..

published on 3/31/25 3:56 PM

Nayden Gerov’s modern-day followers in the UK

Guided by the idea of preserving the Bulgarian spirit, culture and language, with 35 years of experience as a Bulgarian teacher and having worked in different European countries, in 2017, Iliana Boyajieva Smith founded a Bulgarian school in..

published on 3/30/25 7:10 AM