Bulgarian Traditions, Customs and Crafts
The touch to traditions transfers the magic and charm of the past into the modern days. The specific emotional store of Bulgarian customs provides opportunity to each guest to immerse into the life of Bulgarians. This is a great way to get to know at close quarters their spirit, way of living and personality.
The Bulgarian holiday calendar is a result of multi-century accumulation of ecclesiastic beliefs and Christian religious notions. Holidays such as Ignazhden, Mummers, Christmas, Baba Marta, Eniovden are motley blend of mythology, paganism, religion and folklore. The traditions, customs and crafts in Bulgaria and the popular mythology have left their marks on every holiday and ritual. They aim at paying homage, mitigating the power of nature, protecting against evil or bringing fertility, luck, health and love.
One of the symbols of Bulgaria are the Kukeri (Mummers)
This ritual has been practiced ever since the pagan period in the history of Bulgaria. It has had different purposes throughout the centuries, but usually the Kukeri aim at chasing away the evil spirits and bringing health and good crops.
Bulgarian folklore
The most striking thing about the Bulgarian folklore is the strong folk traditions which have survived to this day due to the rural character of the Bulgarian communities. It has resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Traditional folk arts include wood-carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dances and richly varied folk music.
Wood used to be the main construction material and heavily ornamented wooden objects were common in old houses. To preserve traditional houses many village museums have been created throughout Bulgaria, such as the village of Zheravna and the village of Koprivshtitsa. The Old town of Nessebar and the Old town of Sozopol are sites that are must-see as well.
Tours including the above mentioned museum villages you can see here:
