Folk Traditions in Bulgaria

Visitors to Bulgaria who arrive during the season of spring, or as spring approaches, will be privy to some particularly traditional Bulgarian folk customs.

The first of which, Baba Marta Day (or Grandmother March Day) is celebrated on the 1st of March every year, and small cloth dolls called Martenitsa are worn on that day to symbolise the advent of the warmer weather and a general sense of well-being. This represents a traditional celebration of the upcoming springtime. Martenitsi are made from red and white yarn, and are worn until approximately the end of March, or until you see the first stork, swallow or budding tree of the season. The martenitsa is then tied to a tree or put under a stone, depending on the region.


Red continues through as a traditional colour of Easter, as red-dyed eggs are the preference over the colourfully-decorated eggs found throughout Eastern Europe. Red was regarded as a sacred element to the pagan-Orthodox Bulgarian Easter traditions, and red eggs symbolise love, femininity, and protection. The red eggs served more than just the one purpose and red eggs buried in a field were thought to prevent hail, children's faces were touched with red eggs to ensure future prosperity, red eggs were used as a treatment for boils, and people who died on Easter were buried with them. Even the top of the traditional Bulgarian Easter bread was adorned with them! The shells of red eggs were glued onto house walls for protection or fed to livestock.

Throughout Europe, there are many strongly-held beliefs surrounding the advent of spring and the Easter period. A few years ago, whilst staying at a hotel in Rome, I was fortunate enough to sample a traditional Italian Easter bread, although the term "pie" might be more appropriate. Pastiera is a very old Neapolitan speciality for the Easter season, which is baked a few days before the celebration to ensure that the flavours have mixed to their full potential. It's a lot richer than the traditional Bulgarian Kozunak Easter bread, but still worth a try!

Another prime destination for celebrating Easter is Spain, and the Semana Santa (the Passion of Christ, or Easter Week) is a spectacle not to be missed. The most important celebration in the country begins with the Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and end with Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday). Although almost every town and city in Spain will have their own Easter celebrations, it's best to find out exactly what's on at Madrid hotels, tourism offices, and in online guides beforehand.